Fourth man charged in betting scandal that sank Jontay Porter's NBA career

A fourth man was arrested Friday in the sports betting scandal that got Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter expelled from the NBA.

Ammar Awawdeh, 32, turned himself in following the arrests of three co-defendants earlier this week. A court complaint accuses Awawdeh of pressing an NBA athlete, identified only as “Player 1,” to resolve gambling debts by leaving games early. The tactic, which the two called a “special,” would guarantee a payout for anyone who bet on him to underperform in those games.

Using an encrypted messaging app, Awawdeh wrote early this year that he was “forcing” the player to do it and told him: “Screenshot this,” the complaint said.

Awawdeh, who helps run his family's New York City corner stores, was arraigned and released on $100,000 bond to home detention, with ankle monitoring. His lawyer, Alan Gerson, declined to comment on the allegations.