Another person arrested in the case of illegal gambling involving the brother of Michael Porter Jr
Jontay, former player of the Toronto Raptors, was banned for life from the NBA for engaging in this type of embezzlement
The gambling scandal involving Jontay Porter in 2024 led to further accusations on Sunday. According to a report by The Athletic, Shane Hennen was arrested at Las Vegas airport and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering by the Eastern District New York District Attorney's Office.
Hennen received text messages informing him that former Toronto Raptors center, expelled from the NBA, was going to manipulate his playing time. Hennen used this information to place multiple bets, ultimately defrauding an unidentified sportsbook.
Porter, who was involved in the scandal to settle gambling debts, pleaded guilty to his role in July 2024 and is scheduled for sentencing in May. Three other accomplices were also arrested and charged with wire fraud in June 2024.
According to the report, Hennen received a screenshot of a text message from Porter stating that he was having his eye examined during a game on January 22 and would likely not play further that game. "But if it's garbage time, I'll score a million shots," Porter added in the text message obtained by the prosecution.
Hours before a game on January 26, Porter informed two co-conspirators that he would withdraw from the competition due to an injury. "Bet low for big numbers," Porter wrote in the text. "I told them no blocks or steals. I'll play the first 2-3 minutes off the bench and then, when they sub me out, I'll tell them my eye is killing me again."
One of the men Porter informed sent that information to Hennen, who bet $3,700 through an anonymous proxy that Porter would register less than 4.5 rebounds that night. Porter achieved three rebounds, no points, no steals, and no blocks in four minutes of play.
The detailed account
Before a Raptors game on March 20, Hennen was informed that Porter would again manipulate his playing time. Hennen bet $2,400 that Porter would not score as many points in the game. The former Raptor did not score any points and only played for three minutes. Prosecutors alleged in the complaint that Hennen was told not to share insider information, but it is believed that he did pass it on to others.
The man who sent the information to Hennen has pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to the complaint. Long Phi Pham, also known as Bruce, is one of the conspirators mentioned in the case. Pham pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in October and was released on bail of $750,000. He is scheduled for sentencing in April and could face up to 20 years in prison.
Timothy McCormack and Mahmud Mollah are the other two defendants. There was a fourth name redacted when the complaint was first filed. The saga began in April 2024 after an NBA investigation revealed that Porter had violated the league's gambling policy by manipulating games, associating with known bettors, and betting on NBA games, including Raptors contests while sidelined with an injury.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Arrestan a otra persona en el caso de apuestas ilegales del hermano de Michael Porter Jr.
