Is Jontay Porter facing criminal charges for NBA betting scandal? Looking at latest update on former Raptors center

On Wednesday, former NBA player Jontay Porter will have the sentencing of his criminal case for wire fraud at a federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York. According to reports, prosecutors have estimated Porter's prison time to be around 41 to 51 months. For the criminal case of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the maximum prison sentence is 20 years.

A gaming law expert, Peter Czegledy, said via The Hamilton Spectator that although Porter cooperated, he expects a heavy punishment to be handed down. Czegledy is a partner at Aird and Berlis and chairs the law firm's gaming division.

“I would expect that the court will be very careful in its deliberations — and that the sentence will combine both a prison term and significant financial restitution,” Czegledy said.

Jontay is the younger brother of Michael Porter Jr., a one-time NBA champion with the Denver Nuggets.

The former Toronto Raptors center pleaded guilty on July 10. Porter feigned injuries in order to manipulate the outcome of sports bets.

The NBA games that Porter affected took place on Jan. 26 and March 20. He played less than five minutes in both games without scoring.

Jontay Porter banned for life in the NBA

In April 2024, the NBA announced that Porter could no longer play in the league after an internal investigation found him guilty of wagering on games and disclosing information to bettors.

The NBA has strict measures regarding sports betting, and Commissioner Adam Silver said, via a statement:

"There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter’s blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment.

"While legal sports betting creates transparency that helps identify suspicious or abnormal activity, this matter also raises important issues about the sufficiency of the regulatory framework currently in place, including the types of bets offered on our games and players.”

Jontay Porter played in 37 games during his short NBA career. In the 2023-24 season with the Raptors, Porter averaged 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 26 games. In 2020-21, he played 11 games for the Memphis Grizzlies.