A Brooklyn federal judge has sentenced Timothy McCormack to two years in prison for participating in illegal sports betting connected to NBA players. McCormack has publicly announced himself as a gambling addict and admitted to taking part in a scheme that used private player information to defraud licensed sportsbooks. Prosecutors asked for a four-year sentence;
A Brooklyn federal judge has sentenced Timothy McCormack to two years in prison for participating in illegal sports betting connected to NBA players.
McCormack has publicly announced himself as a gambling addict and admitted to taking part in a scheme that used private player information to defraud licensed sportsbooks.
Prosecutors asked for a four-year sentence; however, McCormack’s legal team argued that an extended sentence is unnecessary, given his addiction and small role in the scheme. As a result, Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall decided on a reduced two-year sentence while still stressing the seriousness of the crime.
The court agreed with the government’s position that the case caused harm to the reputation of professional sports. The judge stressed that the integrity of sporting competitions is a concern not just for leagues and regulators but for the public as well.
McCormack used non-public information about player performance to place high-value bets, and although he played a lesser role than other participants, the government still argued that his actions were deliberate and calculated fraud.
McCormack’s sentence is only the first in the larger investigation against gambling-related fraud, in which former and current NBA players are also being prosecuted for participating in similar schemes.