A federal court in Brooklyn issued the first prison sentence connected to a wide-ranging NBA gambling investigation on Wednesday, handing Timothy McCormack a two-year term for his role in defrauding sports betting platforms. The ruling marks an early milestone in a case that has drawn scrutiny to betting tied to player performance and insider information involving NBA players Terry Rozier and Jontay Porter.
McCormack admitted to participating in a scheme that relied on nonpublic details about players’ availability and performance. Prosecutors said he used that information to place wagers designed to produce large payouts, undermining confidence in regulated sports betting markets. The court imposed a sentence that came in below what federal prosecutors sought, while rejecting defense requests to avoid incarceration altogether.
Court weighs addiction against damage to sports integrity
During the sentencing hearing, McCormack addressed the court and described a long-standing struggle with compulsive gambling. “I’ve struggled with a gambling addiction for more than half my life,” he said according to ESPN.
U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall acknowledged that history while emphasizing the broader consequences of the offense. “He has an addiction,” DeArcy Hall said. “I don’t believe the conduct Mr. McCormack engaged in defines him. There is no question this is a serious crime. Sports matter to me as an individual, as it should to society.”
The judge concluded that McCormack’s actions warranted prison time despite those mitigating factors. Federal prosecutors had pushed for a four-year sentence, arguing that deterrence remained essential in cases that threaten the credibility of professional sports. Defense attorneys argued for leniency and asked the court to consider alternatives to incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Berman told the court that McCormack played a smaller role than others charged in the case but still enabled the conspiracy. He said McCormack was “not as culpable as some of his co-conspirators” and described the conduct as a “cold, hard fraud.” Berman added, “Without people like the defendant, these schemes can’t work.”
Betting activity tied to Porter and Rozier
McCormack pleaded guilty in January 2025 to wire fraud conspiracy. Court filings show that he and several others, including Long Phi “Bruce” Pham, Mahmud Mollah, Ammar Awawdeh, and Shane Hennen, acted on information provided by Jontay Porter in 2024. Porter, then with the Toronto Raptors, told associates he would remove himself early from two games because of claimed injuries. Using that information, the group placed bets on the unders for his player prop statistics.
The wagers involved thousands of dollars. One parlay bet valued at $80,000 drew particular attention because it would have returned more than $1 million before a sportsbook voided it.
McCormack also received information tied to Terry Rozier during a March 2023 game between the Charlotte Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans. He used that information to wager on the under for Rozier’s statistical performance. Rozier, now with the Miami Heat, faces wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges related to those allegations and has pleaded not guilty.
What comes next in the broader case
Porter pleaded guilty in 2024 to a federal conspiracy charge and admitted that he removed himself from games to support gambling activity. The NBA banned him from the league, and he awaits sentencing, which is expected in 2026.
Rozier remains on unpaid leave from the Heat. He is free on a $3 million bond and is not expected to return to court until March.
As part of McCormack’s sentence, the court ordered him to report to prison on April 20. He will also serve one year of supervised release after completing his term. Judge DeArcy Hall barred him from gambling during that period and declined to impose additional travel restrictions related to casinos, calling them unnecessary.
