NEW YORK — On Monday, authorities charged a sixth individual in the federal sports betting investigation linked to former NBA player Jontay Porter. According to officials, Porter allegedly sent a text message that outlined his strategy for ensuring a personal underperformance during a game set for January 2024.
Porter, a former center for the Toronto Raptors, has already entered a guilty plea in this criminal case and has received a lifetime ban from the NBA. He confessed to agreeing to leave games early, citing health issues, so that those who were aware of the situation could place bets expecting him to perform worse than anticipated.
Recent developments do not directly alter the legal proceedings against Porter but rather reveal the intricate details of the scheme in his own language, as illustrated in court documents.
In a text sent to an alleged accomplice on January 26, 2024, Porter wrote, “Hit unders for the big numbers.” This was part of a complaint related to another suspect, Shane Hennen, who had been arrested at a Las Vegas airport while attempting to board a flight to Panama.
Porter further communicated, “No blocks no steals. I’m going to play first 2-3 minute stint off the bench then when I get subbed out tell them my eye killing me again,” according to the legal documents. While the complaint refers to him as “NBA Player 1,” it provides enough context, including references to his past guilty plea, to clearly identify him.
It is reported that Porter had an eye injury during a game on January 22, 2024, and continued to update his co-conspirators via text even from the arena. However, he was not listed as injured when the Raptors took on the LA Clippers four days later.
In that game, Porter played for around 4.5 minutes before claiming to have aggravated his eye injury. He further exited a game against the Sacramento Kings on March 20 after less than three minutes, citing illness. His performance in both matches significantly underperformed the expectations set by sportsbooks.
In court last July, Porter mentioned that he got involved in this scheme to alleviate his own gambling debts. He is scheduled for sentencing in May, where he may face a range of consequences from no jail time to 20 years in prison, although prosecutors suggest a sentence of approximately 3.5 to four years is likely.
A request for comment was sent to Porter’s legal representative on the recent updates in the case.
Hennen was released after his Monday arraignment in Las Vegas, where he faced charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The complaint asserts that he was informed of Porter’s plans for the January 26 game, placing bets through intermediaries, and he may have shared information regarding the March 20 game with other bettors as well.
Efforts to reach Hennen’s lawyer for a statement are ongoing. Along with Hennen and Porter, four other individuals have also been charged thus far in the investigation. Of these, two have pleaded guilty, one has entered a not guilty plea, and one has yet to submit a plea.
The documents suggest that there may be additional conspirators involved, although it remains uncertain if further arrests will take place.
