A Brooklyn man has been charged with conspiring to defraud a sports betting company by placing wagers involving former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter, who was recently banned by the NBA for violating its gambling policy.
Long Phi Pham, 38, and several accomplices allegedly placed “prop” bets—wagers based on individual player performances—on two NBA games after receiving insider information that Porter would exit early due to purported health issues. Three of Pham’s co-conspirators remain at large.
Pham’s lawyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Court documents did not directly name Porter, referring to him as “Player 1,” but they included numerous accusations that align with known details about Porter. The documents also heavily referenced an April 17 NBA press release announcing Porter’s ban for placing 13 bets on league games, including three multi-game parlay bets, one of which involved a wager against the Raptors.
Porter played only four minutes in a January 26 game against the Los Angeles Clippers, citing an aggravated eye injury, and just three minutes in a March 20 game against the Sacramento Kings, claiming illness.
Brooklyn prosecutors alleged that Pham, also known as Bruce, and his co-conspirators made over $1 million by betting the “under,” predicting that Porter would not reach certain statistical targets in these games. They further claimed that Porter mentioned in an April 4 group chat that they “might just get hit w a rico,” referencing anti-racketeering laws, and inquired if others had deleted incriminating content from their cellphones.
Pham was arrested on Monday at John F. Kennedy International Airport while preparing to board a one-way flight to Australia. He was found carrying $12,000 in cash, $80,000 in cashier’s checks, betting slips, and three cellphones.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Cheryl Pollak ordered Pham’s detention at a hearing on Tuesday.
These charges were announced on the same day Major League Baseball banned San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano for life after it was discovered he made 387 bets in 2022 and 2023 on baseball games, including those involving his former team, the Pittsburgh Pirates.
