In a shocking turn of events, former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a gambling scandal that has rocked the basketball world. Porter, who was banned for life from the NBA earlier this year, admitted to tipping off gamblers about games he planned to rig in an attempt to clear his own substantial gambling debt.

Appearing before Brooklyn federal Judge James R. Cho, Porter expressed remorse for his actions, stating, "I know what I did was wrong and unlawful, and I'm deeply sorry for my conduct." Prosecutors have recommended a prison sentence of 41 to 51 months, and his sentencing is set for December 18.

The former NBA player surrendered to authorities on Wednesday, following the opening of a criminal case against him last week. The case implicated Porter in an alleged betting ring that revolved around his deliberate underperformance in games. Four gamblers, identified as Long Phi Pham, Mahmud Mollah, Timothy McCormack, and Ammar Awawdeh, are also facing charges for profiting from bets made on Porter's rigged games.

According to court documents, Porter had accumulated significant gambling debts and conspired with the group to purposely play poorly in order to ensure their bets were successful. The group utilized a messaging chat to coordinate their actions, enabling them to place "prop bets" based on Porter's performance. These types of bets, such as predicting the over or under of a certain statistical category, were placed once the group was informed in advance which games Porter would intentionally underperform in.

Two notable instances were highlighted in the court papers. In the January 26 game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Porter allegedly informed one of the defendants that he would exit the game early, claiming to be injured. Similarly, during the March 20 game against the Sacramento Kings, Porter planned to leave early, citing illness. In both games, Porter's statistics fell below the expected totals from gambling books, confirming the success of the rigged bets.

The group profited immensely from their deceitful activities, making over $1 million in rigged bets. Each defendant is now facing charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

In addition to the legal consequences, Porter has been permanently banned from the NBA following an investigation that revealed his manipulation of game outcomes and his own betting on NBA games. The league found that he had divulged information to sports bettors and deliberately limited his participation in games for betting purposes. It was discovered that Porter placed at least 13 bets on NBA games between January and March of this year.

Porter's attorney, Jeff Jensen, declined to comment on the situation, and both Porter and his legal representative quietly left the courthouse through the back door after the hearing.

As the basketball community grapples with this scandal, the focus now shifts to Porter's sentencing in December and the long-lasting impact of his actions on the integrity of the game.