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Long Phi Pham, 38, and others allegedly placed
"prop" bets, which are wagers based on players' performance, on
two NBA games where they had been tipped that Porter would
withdraw early for purported health reasons. Three
co-conspirators remain at large.
A lawyer for Pham did not immediately respond to a request for
comment.
Court papers did not identify Porter by name, calling him
"Player 1," but contained many known accusations against him,
and quote heavily from an April 17 NBA press release announcing
his ban, including for placing 13 bets on league games.
The league said three bets were multi-game parlay bets that
included one game where Porter bet the Raptors would lose.
Porter played just four minutes in a Jan. 26 game against the
Los Angeles Clippers before complaining of an aggravated eye
injury, and three minutes in a March 20 game against the
Sacramento Kings before claiming he was ill.
Prosecutors in Brooklyn said Pham, also known as Bruce, and
co-conspirators made more than $1 million on the games by
betting the "under," that Porter would not hit specified
statistical targets.
The prosecutors also said Porter told Pham and others in an
April 4 group chat they "might just get hit w a rico," alluding
to anti-racketeering laws, and asked if they had deleted
cellphone content.
Prosecutors said Pham was arrested on Monday at John F. Kennedy
International Airport as he prepared to fly to Australia on a
one-way ticket, while possessing $12,000 in cash, $80,000 in
cashier's checks, betting slips and three cellphones.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Cheryl Pollak ordered Pham detained at a
hearing on Tuesday.
The charges were announced the same day Major League Baseball
banned San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano for life
after he made 387 bets in 2022 and 2023 on baseball games,
including Pittsburgh Pirates games when he was with that team.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Jamie
Freed) [© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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