Porter facing criminal charges

NEW YORK (AFP) — Former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter is set to face criminal charges over his role in the betting scandal that led to his life ban from the National Basketball Association (NBA), legal filings from federal prosecutors in New York showed on Wednesday.

An “information sheet” filed in New York by Brooklyn federal prosecutors said Porter would face a felony charge in connection with the case. The filing did not indicate what exact charges Porter would face.

Four other people have already been charged in connection with the case.

They are accused of conspiring with Porter to defraud an online sports betting company.

The defendants are alleged to have bet Porter’s playing time knowing in advance that he would exit the game early for health reasons. The scam allowed the bettors to pocket more than one million dollars.

Porter, the younger brother of Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr., was banned for life from the NBA in April after a league probe found he bet on league matches.

Porter was a largely anonymous figure in the NBA, playing just 37 games in 2020-2021 and 2023-2024 seasons.