Tyler Conway @@jtylerconway Featured Columnist IV June 4, 2024
Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images
Long Phi “Bruce” Pham was arrested Monday and charged with conspiring with former NBA player Jontay Porter to defraud a sports betting company, per Aaron Katersky of ESPN.
The FBI detained Pham at JFK Airport in New York after he allegedly booked a one-way ticket to Australia. Investigators attempted to interview Pham on Sunday in connection to the case, which saw Porter conspire with Pham and three others to defraud sports books. The three other unnamed suspects in the case are at large.
According to the FBI, Porter had “had amassed significant gambling debts” to Pham and the others. In an attempt to repay those debts, Porter agreed to exit certain games early while he was playing with the Toronto Raptors.
Pham and others placed heavy bets on Porter’s under totals for a Jan. 26 game against the Los Angeles Clippers, knowing Porter would exit early due to a faked injury. Porter faked an illness during a March 20 game against the Sacramento Kings, again allowing his unders to hit.
Pham and others netted more than $1 million in successful bets as a result.
“Whether on the court or in the casino, every point matters,” United States Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement. “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.
“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.”
Porter, the brother of Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., was permanently banned by the NBA in April. It’s unclear if he’s under criminal investigation.
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