Two More Charged In Betting Scandal Involving Ex-NBA Player Jontay Porter

Two more men were charged Thursday in the NBA sports betting scandal that led to the lifetime ban of former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter.

Timothy McCormack, Mahmud Mollah joined Long Phi Pham, a fourth unnamed defendant in betting case

In April, the league's investigation revealed that Jontay Porter had disclosed confidential information to bettors, limited his participation in at least one game while he was with Toronto, and bet on NBA games while playing in the G League.

According to the Associated Press, Timothy McCormack and Mahmud Mollah now join two other men — Long Phi Pham and a fourth whose name remains redacted in a court complaint — as defendants in a federal wire fraud case about wagers allegedly based on tips from a player about his plans to exit two games early.

Brooklyn federal prosecutors declined to comment on whether Porter is under investigation. While Porter has not been named in the case, “Player 1” is presumed to be his identity in court documents.

Prosecutors say McCormack, Mollah, Pham, and the unnamed fourth defendant participated in a scheme to get “Player 1” to take himself off the court so that they could win bets against his performance.

The ploy did initially succeed. In fact, Mollah won over $1.3 million after placing bets on a March 20 game, according to the complaint.

Pham, Porter, and the unnamed defendant were each supposed to receive a 25% cut of the winnings

Additionally, the complaint said Pham, the player, and the unnamed defendant were each supposed to receive a 25% cut of those winnings. McCormack had also agreed to a 4% cut.

Nevertheless, this was before a sports betting company blocked Mollah from collecting most of the money. The sportsbook prevented him from receiving his payout because of irregular betting activity. McCormack also cleared more than $33,000 on a bet on a Jan. 26 game, the complaint added.

“Player 1” racked up significant gambling debts by the beginning of 2024. The unnamed defendant persuaded him to clear his obligations by performing a “special.”

A special is their code for leaving certain games early to ensure the success of bets that he'd underperform, according to the complaint.

“If I don't do a special with your terms. Then it's up. And u hate me and if I don't get u 8k by Friday you're coming to Toronto to beat me up,” the player said in a message.

“Player 1” told the defendants that he planned to take himself out of the Jan. 26 game early, citing injury. Porter played four minutes and 24 seconds against the Los Angeles Clippers in that game. The forward left after claiming he had aggravated an eye problem.

Porter ended his game with zero points, three rebounds, and one assist. Since sportsbooks projected larger numbers, this meant anyone who bet the “under” would have won their bets.

Porter warned the defendants that they could get hit with RICO charges

Per the complaint, the NBA player also told the defendants that he would exit the March 20 game by saying he was sick. Jontay Porter played just two minutes and 43 seconds against the Sacramento Kings that day.

This allowed him to finish his outing without any points or assists. Once again, betting the under was a guaranteed hit.

When the NBA first launched its investigation, the player warned Pham, Mollah, and the unnamed defendant via an encrypted messaging app that they “might just get hit w a rico,” referring to a federal racketeering charge.

Then, Porter asked whether they had deleted “all the stuff” from their phones, according to the complaint.

McCormack, 36, of New York, and Mollah, 24, of Lansdale, Pennsylvania, were granted $50,000 bond each after their arraignments Thursday.

According to AP's report, a judge agreed Wednesday to release Pham to home detention and electronic monitoring on $750,000 bond. Pham, a 38-year-old Brooklyn resident, remained in custody Thursday as paperwork and other details were finalized.