Former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter, who was suspended by the NBA over a sports betting scandal, had a gambling problem that was “out of control,” his lawyer said Friday.
Government investigative lawyer Jeff Jensen of St. Louis also said in a statement provided to The Associated Press that Porter was cooperating with investigators.
“Jontay is a good young man with strong principles who was able to overcome this. His gambling problem caused him to spiral out of control. He is currently receiving treatment and is cooperating fully with police,” Jensen said.
It was Porter’s first statement since a league investigation found he had leaked confidential information to sports bettors and placed bets on games, including one that the Raptors would lose.
A fourth man was also arrested in the scandal on Friday after three co-conspirators were arrested earlier this week: Amar Awaudeh, 32, turned himself in.
The lawsuit alleges that Awaude pressured an NBA player, identified only as “Player 1,” to leave games midway through to pay off gambling debts. The tactic, which the pair called a “special,” involved betting that Awaude would underperform in a given game, with a cash prize guaranteed, according to the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, Awaudeh allegedly wrote to players using an encrypted messaging app earlier this year, telling them he was “forcing” them to “screenshot this.”
Awaudeh, who helps run his family’s New York City store, was indicted and placed on home detention with $100,000 bail and an ankle monitor. His lawyer, Alan Gershon, declined to comment on the charges.
Porter has not been charged in the case and is not named in the indictment, but details about Player 1 match those uncovered in the NBA investigation that led to his lifetime ban in April. The league found that Porter bet on NBA games he did not play in and withdrew from at least one game to allow more than $1 million in winnings to bettors who were tipped off.
According to the indictment, Awaudeh and co-defendants Timothy McCormack, Mahmoud Muller and Ron Phi Pham had advance knowledge of Player 1’s plans, allowing them and their relatives to place large bets on the player’s performance in the games on Jan. 26 and March 20.
Porter only played briefly that day before leaving the court complaining of an injury or illness.
The betting company ultimately blocked Mueller from collecting most of the more than $1 million he won in the March 20 game, according to the lawsuit.
The defendants in the wire fraud conspiracy indictment have not entered pleas. Their lawyers declined to comment, except for McCormack’s lawyer, Jeffrey Chartier. “No case is easy to win,” Chartier said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
