Jontay Porter facing felony charge over betting case

Mar 11, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter (34) reacts after a play in the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Jontay Porter is now in serious legal trouble after being banned from the NBA as part of a sports betting scandal.

Court documents filed Tuesday indicate that Porter will be charged with a federal felony stemming from his role in the scandal, according to Jennifer Peltz of The Associated Press. It is not clear what the charges are, but includes a federal felony linked to an ongoing case involving four men who cashed in on insider tips from a player who was planning to exit games early. That player is clearly Porter.

Porter has already been banned from the NBA for life over the allegations, which allege Porter tipped off bettors to confidential information about his health status before leaving games early. Porter also bet against the Toronto Raptors, his own team, though he did not play in those games. It has since been suggested that Porter was trying to pay off a gambling debt by getting involved and passing the information along.

It remains to be seen what kind of legal punishment Porter could face, but it sounds like he is in some serious trouble with federal authorities.