First Prison Sentence Handed Out For NBA Betting Scandal As Self-Proclaimed Gambling Addict Gets Two Years

Timothy McCormack, who openly describes himself as a gambling addict, was sentenced to two years in federal prison Wednesday, marking the first sentencing in a large-scale conspiracy case that includes NBA players Terry Rozier and Jontay Porter.

In a Brooklyn federal courtroom, the judge imposed the two-year term on McCormack for his role in defrauding multiple sports betting companies. He exploited non-public information to place extremely lucrative bets linked to the on-court performances of NBA players who were allegedly part of the scheme.

“I’ve struggled with a gambling addiction for more than half my life,” said McCormack during his sentencing, per ESPN. (RELATED: Ever Wonder Where Sports Leagues Lean Politically? New Survey Reveals Exactly What Parties Athletes Are Members Of)

The sentence from Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall is shorter than the four-year sentence prosecutors had requested. McCormack’s defense team had argued for a sentence that would avoid any incarceration altogether.

“He has an addiction,” said DeArcy Hall. “I don’t believe the conduct Mr. McCormack engaged in defines him.”

The judge concurred with federal prosecutors that McCormack’s actions had compromised the integrity of professional sports.

A federal judge handed down a two-year prison sentence to a gambler who prosecutors say defrauded sports betting platforms by using non-public information to place highly profitable wagers tied to the performance of NBA players allegedly in on the scheme. https://t.co/GHTT1kn4z4

— ABC News (@ABC) January 21, 2026

“There is no question this is a serious crime,” said DeArcy Hall. “Sports matters to me as an individual, as it should to society.”

It was conceded by prosecutor David Berman that McCormack was “not as culpable as some of his co-conspirators,” however, stated that he made contributions towards a “cold, hard fraud.”

“Without people like the defendant, these schemes can’t work,” said Berman while speaking with the judge. (RELATED: MLB Owners ‘Raging’, Will ‘100%’ Push For Salary Cap After Dodgers’ $240M Kyle Tucker Signing: REPORT)

Rozier, currently away from the Miami Heat on unpaid leave, entered a not-guilty plea in Dec. to federal charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The accusations center on claims that he assisted certain friends in profiting from bets tied to his individual statistical output during a specific game in Mar. 2023. Then, he was a member of the Charlotte Hornets.

Rozier remains free on a $3 million bond and is not scheduled to return to court until March.

Porter entered a guilty plea in 2024 to a federal conspiracy charge, admitting that he deliberately removed himself from games to facilitate gambling wins. As a result, he has been permanently banned from the NBA and is awaiting his sentencing.