In a New York City area airport Monday, authorities arrested a Brooklyn man who was trying to board a flight to Australia. In a related hearing on Tuesday, Long Phi Pham, the man who was arrested trying to leave the country, was charged with conspiring with others to defraud a sports betting company in bets placed on NBA games in conjunction with an unnamed NBA player.
It is widely believed, according to related reporting, that former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter is that unnamed “Player 1” in the corresponding criminal complaint.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, and as alleged in the criminal complaint, “Pham and his co-conspirators placed “under prop” bets on Player 1’s performance in two NBA games, knowing in advance that Player 1 planned to withdraw from those games for purported health reasons.”
As set forth in the complaint, one of those bets involved a game on January 26, 2024. According to the USAO, by early 2024 the unnamed NBA player in the complaint — believed to be Porter — “ … had amassed large gambling debts to certain of the co-conspirators. Player 1 was encouraged to clear those debts by withdrawing from certain games prematurely to ensure that under prop bets on Player 1’s performance were successful.”
Porter had sustained an eye injury on Monday, January 22 in a game against Memphis. He was diagnosed with a corneal abrasion, but not placed on the injury list. Toronto’s next game was schedule for that Friday night, January 26, against the Los Angeles Clippers.
According to the complaint, unnamed “Player 1” informed Pham ahead of that game that he would “be removing himself early from the game, claiming that he was injured.”
As stated in the complaint, “ … Player 1 entered the January 26 Game midway through the first quarter. After playing just four minutes and recording zero points, three rebounds and one assist, Player 1 removed himself from the game after he complained to team officials that he had reaggravated the eye injury.”
As you can see from ESPN’s box score from that game, Porter played just four minutes against the Clippers, recording three rebounds and an assist.
According to the USAO, “Player 1’s performance in several statistical categories during the January 26 Game was under the designated amounts set by Betting Company 1 in its prop bets related to Player 1. Thus, several bettors, including co-conspirators, who wagered the “under” on prop bets related to Player 1’s performance for the January 26 Game won those bets.”
The next game discussed in the complaint was a March 20 contest between Toronto and the Sacramento Kings. As outlined in the complaint, prior to that game the unnamed NBA player and the co-conspirators — including Pham — “ … discussed in a Telegram group chat that Player 1 would be removing himself early from the game, claiming that he felt ill. They agreed to share the profits for money won on successful under bets placed on Player 1, and that Pham would receive approximately 24% of the profits.”
The co-conspirators then met at an Atlantic City casino that day, to place a number of under bets on “Player 1.” According to the complaint, “[o]n March 20, 2024, Pham and his co-conspirators met at a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and placed several bets on Player 1. After playing just three minutes and recording zero points, three rebounds and zero assists, Player 1 removed himself from the March 20 Game, complaining he felt ill. Several bettors, including the co-conspirators, who wagered the under on prop bets related to Player 1’s performance won those bets. In total, the defendant and his co-conspirators netted over $1 million in profits.”
In ESPN’s box score from that game, you can see that Porter played just three minutes.
What could cause even more problems for the group is that in the above-referenced group chat, they discussed the scheme in a manner that makes it. clear they knew just how much trouble they would be in if the operation was uncovered. As set forth by the USAO, “[o]n April 4, 2024, in a group chat between Player 1 and the conspirators, Player 1 wrote to the group that they “might just get hit w a rico,” referring to a racketeering charge, and asked if the group chat participants had “delete[d] all the stuff” from their personal cell phones.”
In a statement from the USAO, the office makes it clear that Pham is innocent until proven guilty. If convicted of the wire fraud charges he faces, Pham faces up to 20 years in prison.
“Whether on the court or in the casino, every point matters. As alleged, the defendant and his co-conspirators, as well as an NBA player, participated in a brazen, illegal betting scheme that had a corrupting influence on two games and numerous bets,” stated Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. “This prosecution serves as a warning that fraud and dishonesty in professional sports will not be tolerated and those who engage in this flagrant flouting of the law will be prosecuted.”
In April, the NBA banned Porter from the league for life. “There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter’s blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.