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A Brooklyn man pleaded guilty Wednesday in connection to the sports betting scheme involving Jontay Porter, the former Toronto Raptors player who was banned from the NBA and pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy crime.
Long Phi Pham, also known as Bruce, admitted to a charge of wire fraud conspiracy at a hearing at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Three other men have been charged in the plot.
Pham has been released on a $750,000 bond as he awaits sentencing scheduled for April 25, 2025. He could face up to 20 years in prison, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
Prosecutors alleged that Pham and his co-conspirators bet on Porter’s performance in two Raptors games, knowing that Porter planned to withdraw from the game. Porter left a Jan. 26 matchup against the LA Clippers after playing just four minutes, claiming that he had reaggravated an eye injury, according to a criminal complaint. As a result, a co-conspirator won $40,250.
Prior to a game against the Sacramento Kings on March 20, Pham and his co-conspirators discussed in a Telegram group chat that Porter would again exit early, claiming he felt ill, according to the criminal complaint.
Pham and his co-conspirators met at a casino in Atlantic City and placed several bets on Porter, who removed himself from the March game after playing just three minutes and recording 0 points, 3 rebounds and 0 assists, according to the filing.
Pham and his co-conspirators netted over $1 million in profits overall, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
On April 4, Porter wrote in a group chat with the conspirators 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, according to the complaint.
Pham, 38, was arrested at JFK airport in New York in June as he tried to board a flight to Australia on a one-way ticket, according to the criminal complaint.
Porter was banned by the NBA on April 17 after an investigation. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud on July 10 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 18.
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