Banished NBA Player Jontay Porter Pleads Guilty In Gambling Case

Former Toronto Raptors power forward Jontay Porter just pleaded guilty to a criminal charge stemming from the gambling case that got him permanently banned from the NBA.

Porter formally issued the plea to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud while inside of a federal courthouse on Wednesday in New York.

At the proceedings, the 24-year-old -- who had been accused of pulling himself early from games in order to help make his gambling associates a ton of coin -- admitted to wrongdoing ... saying before a judge, "I know what I did was wrong, unlawful, and I am deeply sorry."

Porter's sentencing was then put on the calendar for Dec. 18. According to the Associated Press, he's facing anywhere from three years in prison to around four years.

Investigators first began probing the allegations against Porter way back in January.

Prosecutors allege in court documents that Porter was encouraged by at least one of his associates to clear "significant gambling debts" he had amassed by withdrawing himself early from NBA games in order to ensure the under on his prop bets would hit.

On Jan. 26, officials claim Porter embellished an eye injury and pulled himself from a game early ... allowing under prop betters to score cash. Several weeks later, on March 20, prosecutors allege a similar situation went down during another one of Porter's games.

Porter was ultimately tossed from the league by Adam Silver in April over the allegations.