Jontay Porter, a former NBA player, was banned for life from the league after being involved in a betting scheme. Porter, who is facing criminal charges, had texted those involved in the scheme, telling them to bet on his “unders” propositions, which would result in “big numbers.”
Court documents revealed that Porter had texted Shane Hennen, the latest person arrested, saying that he would play a limited role in a game and then tell those involved in the scheme that his eye was hurting, allowing them to place bets accordingly.
Porter pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and faces over 20 years in jail, although prosecutors believe he will be sentenced to around four years. His sentencing is set for May 20.
In court, Porter said he agreed to withdraw early from games to get out from under large gambling debts, allowing him and co-conspirators to win bets on his performance. Porter received a lifetime ban from the NBA on April 17 after the league found that he had disclosed confidential information to sports bettors and bet on games in violation of league rules.
Porter’s lawyer said that his client was “in over his head due to a gambling addiction” but was getting treatment and cooperating with law enforcement. Porter’s brothers, Coban and Michael, are also involved in the sports world, with Coban serving a six-year sentence for a fatal DUI crash and Michael playing for the Denver Nuggets.