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A second person has stepped forward, admitting to involvement in a sports betting scandal that led to the dismissal of former Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter from the NBA. Mahmud Mollah has now pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy linked to betting on NBA games involving Porter, the Associated Press reported. Mollah’s admission follows those of Porter and another individual, Long Phil Pham, also known as Bruce Pham.
The case, which surfaced last spring, centers around fraudulent schemes in NBA betting markets. Pham, Mollah, and two others allegedly collaborated to manipulate betting outcomes by exploiting insider information on Porter’s early exits from games. Authorities charged the group over the summer with wire fraud conspiracy, with allegations that they plotted to benefit financially from “a player’s secret plans to claim illness to pull out of two games early.”
DraftKings Sportsbook initially flagged unusual betting patterns in January, drawing attention to the scandal. On January 26, bets on Porter to miss three-point attempts proved unexpectedly profitable, according to DraftKings’ betting insights. Later, on March 20, similar betting activity focused on Porter’s underperformance in three-pointers. In both instances, Porter left the games early, logging only four minutes on January 26 without attempting a single three-point shot. In March, he exited the game after three minutes, citing illness, without scoring any points.
The NBA, upon noticing these irregularities in prop bets surrounding Porter, launched an investigation that would eventually lead to his dismissal. Before these events, Porter was a regular on the Toronto Raptors, averaging around 14 minutes of court time per game. The abrupt nature of his early exits in these flagged games raised red flags.
Two other individuals linked to the scandal still face charges, though they have yet to enter pleas. Meanwhile, Mollah awaits sentencing in a Brooklyn federal court scheduled for May 2, where he could face up to 20 years in prison