Fourth Individual Accused in Betting Scandal That Derailed Jontay Porter’s NBA Career

Ammar Awawdeh, a 32-year-old man, surrendered to authorities after three of his co-defendants were arrested earlier this week. The court complaint alleges that Awawdeh pressured an NBA athlete, known only as “Player 1,” to intentionally underperform in games to settle gambling debts. This scheme, referred to as a “special,” ensured that those who bet on the player’s poor performance would win big.

Using encrypted messaging, Awawdeh reportedly coerced the player into participating in the scheme, even going as far as to tell him to “Screenshot this.” Awawdeh, who helps manage his family’s corner stores in New York City, was arraigned and released on a $100,000 bond with ankle monitoring.

Although the complaint does not name the NBA player involved, details align with a previous NBA investigation that led to a player’s lifetime ban in April. The league found that the player had placed bets on games in which he did not play and deliberately left a game to ensure a large payout for a bettor who had inside information.

Awawdeh and his co-defendants allegedly used their knowledge of Player 1’s plans to place profitable bets on his performance in specific games. Despite their charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the defendants have not entered pleas. One defense attorney remarked that “no case is a slam dunk.”

Efforts to reach the player’s representative for comment were unsuccessful, and the player’s current contact information remains unknown. The investigation into this elaborate gambling scheme continues, shedding light on the dark side of sports betting.