Poker Player Pleads Guilty in Jontay Porter NBA Corruption Case
A poker player from Brooklyn, whose name emerged in a 2023 cheating controversy, has admitted guilt to wire fraud conspiracy due to his involvement in the insider betting scandal related to former Toronto Raptors power forward Jontay Porter.
Long Phi “Bruce” Pham, 38, was part of the gang that placed substantial bets on Porter to not meet expectations in two Raptors games earlier this year. Porter was in debt to the group and decided to withdraw from the games prematurely, citing injury or illness as a means to repay them.
The plan would have earned Pham and his accomplices over US$2 million from wagers made through DraftKings and FanDuel. However, the majority of the winnings was withheld by the sportsbooks upon noticing unusual betting behaviors.
Porter Ban Life
After an NBA inquiry, Porter was permanently banned from the league in April. In July, he admitted guilt to plotting wire fraud in a federal court.
He mentioned that he consented to join the program as he was deeply in debt to the organization because of a gambling issue.
Pham was apprehended by the FBI on June 3 while he was trying to get on a one-way flight to Australia. He had $12,000 in cash, $80,000 in cashier’s checks, and three mobile phones.
Pham refuted the suggestion that he attempted to escape the country, stating he was en route to a poker tournament at Sydney's Star Casino.
That month, a significant tournament festival was not conducted at the Star, and it remained uncertain why the defendant would make the long journey across the globe to join the casino’s usual schedule of low-to-medium stakes competitions.
Allegations of Cheating in Poker
Pham was among multiple poker players openly alleged to be part of a group that supposedly defrauded high-stakes participants of millions of dollars in private games in Los Angeles in 2023.
One of the players who claimed he was deceived, Ben Lee, publicly identified Pham and others. The issue was never settled, and the claims against Pham remain unproven.
Pham's three accomplices, Ammar Awawdeh, Timothy McCormac, and Mahmud Mollah, have not entered a plea yet.
Pham has been freed on a $750K bond as he prepares for sentencing, set for April 25, 2025. He could be sentenced to as much as 20 years in prison.
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