Two defendants named in an NBA-linked sports betting indictment allegedly conspired last year to make money as the Sacramento Kings faced the Toronto Raptors.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Two defendants named last week in a sports betting indictment, which includes current NBA guard Terry Rozier, allegedly placed fraudulent wagers on a Sacramento Kings game from 2024 named in previous conspiracy cases.
One defendant reportedly received information about ex-Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter’s plan to exit the March 20, 2024, game against the Kings early; the defendant shared the scheme with another defendant so they could place fraudulent bets, the U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York indictment alleges.
The pair, identified as successful sports bettors who both sold picks through their Instagram profiles, bet on Porter’s “unders,” or that he would score fewer than a certain designated number of points, court documents say.
They allegedly conspired for a similar plan over the Jan. 26, 2024, Raptors game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The indictment says one defendant’s bets on Porter for the Kings and Clippers games were all successful, and multiple transfers via mobile payment platforms were conducted to distribute proceeds and promote the scheme.
“Hit unders for the big numbers,” Porter wrote in a text message Jan. 26, 2024, disclosed by authorities and later reported on by the Associated Press. Porter pleaded guilty last year to taking himself out of games to win bets and was banned from the NBA for life.
What happened March 20, 2024?
Porter’s ploy to exit the Sacramento Kings game early for financial gain was outlined in criminal court documents filed last year.
A complaint against a New York man, who would eventually plead guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud, said Porter planned on claiming illness to exit the game March 20, 2024, against the Sacramento team.
Porter played just two minutes and 43 seconds, finishing with no points or assists and two rebounds.
The Kings defeated the Raptors 123-89.
Conspirators agreed Porter would get nearly a quarter of the wins, the AP previously reported.
Six people were arrested
The two defendants and current Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were among six people involved in the NBA-linked conspiracy announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Former Kings player Damon Jones, who played with the Sacramento team from 2002-2003, was also named in the indictment.
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