Man Related to Porter and Rozier NBA Gambling Scheme Gets 2-Year Sentence

Timothy McCormack, who has described himself as a gambling addict, was sentenced Wednesday to two years in prison, becoming the first defendant punished for his involvement in a wide-ranging gambling conspiracy tied to NBA players Terry Rozier and Jontay Porter.

Judge Sentences McCormack

Interestingly, Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall imposed a sentence quite shorter than the four years sought by prosecutors, while the defense argued for a punishment that did not include any prison time. The judge expressed some sympathy, acknowledging that McCormack has an addiction that pushed him towards what he did. Of course, Judge Hall also pointed out that there is no question that what McCormack did was a serious crime. 

Federal prosecutor David Berman conceded that McCormack was not as culpable as some of his co-conspirators but said he contributed to what the prosecutor described as a cold, hard fraud. He told the judge that without people like McCormack, such schemes could not work.

Meanwhile, defense attorney Jeffrey Chartier pushed for a sentence without prison time, saying his client was a degenerate gambler and describing the case as one that could be made into a movie. Chartier also said the betting platforms were thriving off people like his client and told reporters there was absolutely some irony in the fact that those betting platforms were considered victims in the case.

McCormack was ordered to report to prison on April 20 and will then serve a year of supervised release, during which the judge said he is barred from gambling. The judge declined to impose an additional restriction on traveling to a casino, saying it was unnecessary.

What About the Two NBA Players?

McCormack placed bets using insider information that Porter, then a member of the Toronto Raptors, and Rozier, then with the Charlotte Hornets, would exit certain games early. Porter pleaded guilty in 2024 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a gambling scheme. He was banned from the league for life and is awaiting sentencing.

Rozier, meanwhile, is currently on unpaid leave from the Miami Heat. He pleaded not guilty in December to charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The charges stem from allegations that he helped friends win bets tied to his statistical performance in a March 2023 game when he was still with the Charlotte Hornets. He remains free on a $3 million bond and is not expected to return to court until March.