New York man charged in betting scandal that led to ex-Raptor Jontay Porter's NBA ban

A New York man was charged Tuesday in a sports betting scandal that spurred the NBA to ban Jontay Porter for life, with the charges marking the first known criminal fallout from the matter.

Porter isn't named in the court complaint, but its specifics about "Player 1" match the details of the former Toronto Raptors player's downfall this spring. It's unclear whether Porter himself is under investigation in the criminal case — Brooklyn federal prosecutors declined to comment on whether he is.

The court complaint against Long Phi Pham says the player communicated directly with defendant Pham and other conspirators.

According to the complaint, the player told Pham and others, via encrypted messages, that he planned to take himself out of Jan. 26 and March 20 games early, claiming injury or illness. Porter played four minutes, 24 seconds against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first of those games, then two minutes 43 seconds against the Sacramento Kings in the second game, both times falling short of wagering lines based on his expected performance.

Pham and other conspirators — whose names are redacted in the court complaint — used that advance knowledge to place bets on Porter underperforming, prosecutors allege. The bets paid off to the tune of more than $1 million US for the group, according to prosecutors.

NEW: Banned NBA player Jontay Porter warned his partners in a scheme to rig “prop” bets that “we might just get hit with a RICO,” new court papers show.<br><br>A Brooklyn man, Long Phi Pham, has been arrested. Feds are looking for 3 more. <br><br>⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wojespn</a>⁩ ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/Kyle_Schnitzer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Kyle_Schnitzer</a>⁩ <a