A federal judge has blocked disgraced NBA player Jontay Porter’s shot at re-starting his career in a European basketball league while he awaits sentencing in his sports betting case.
Porter, 24, who was banned from the NBA for life in April, is out on bond awaiting sentencing for wire fraud conspiracy in Brooklyn. On Tuesday, his defense lawyer asked that his bond be modified, so he could get his passport back, move overseas and play for Promitheas BC, a team in Patras, Greece.
Brooklyn Federal Court Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall swatted down that request within hours, denying his motion later Tuesday, in an entry filed to the docket in his criminal case. Hall is presiding over his sentencing.
Porter wanted to live in an “approved residence” in Patras with his wife and expected newborn son so he could play in the Greek Basket League and Champions League in Europe, his lawyer, Jeff Jensen, wrote Tuesday.
“The proposed modification would allow Mr. Porter to pursue a very fortunate – and quickly diminishing – opportunity to earn income through his primary skill set,” he wrote.
Jordan, who used to play for the Toronto Raptors, pleaded guilty last week, admitting to withdrawing early from two games so a quartet of New York-based gamblers could win big by betting against his performance, according to the feds. Those four suspects also face federal wire fraud conspiracy charges. Their cases are pending.
The NBA launched an investigation after he left a game on March 20 and banned Porter for life in April. The league ruled that he “violated league rules by disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games.”
Based on federal sentencing guidelines, Porter could face between 41 and 51 months in prison when he’s sentenced Dec. 18, along with hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution and fines.
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