Former NBA player Jontay Porter has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Porter appeared in court on Wednesday as part of the scandal that saw him receive a lifetime ban from North America’s top basketball competition in April.
An NBA investigation found that Porter disclosed confidential health information to an associate who he knew to be an NBA bettor. Another associate subsequently placed a $80,000 bet on Porter – to return $1.1m – to underperform in a game on March 20.
However, the $80,000 bet was frozen and not paid out after the league’s investigation found that Porter limited his own game participation to three minutes in that game, claiming that he felt ill, with the aim of influencing the bet.
“I know what I did was wrong, unlawful and I am deeply sorry,” Porter said in court, as reported by the Associated Press.
He added he committed the wrongdoing “to get out from under large gambling debts.”
Porter will be sentenced on December 18 to between under three-and-a-half years just over four years in prison, the AP quoted prosecutors as saying.
However, a judge could hand Porter a sentence up to 20 years.
He will also face fines and restitution costs.
