Integrity concerns
The NBA has faced multiple betting scandals in recent years. It started with Jontay Porter receiving a lifetime ban last year for leaving games early with the Toronto Raptors to avoid meeting prop betting targets.
feds revealed they’re looking into Detroit Pistons shooting guard Malik Beasley
The Wall Street Journal later reported Miami Heat’s Terry Rozier was under investigation for ties to an illegal betting ring, and last month the feds announced they’re investigating Detroit Pistons shooting guard Malik Beasley.
Suspicious timing
A podcast by Pablo Torre has shed light on a now-deleted X account, “FreeMoose_NBA,” whose owner appeared to have prior knowledge of these allegations before the NBA.
The day the news about Terry Rozier’s investigation surfaced, the X account posted a hint about Malik Beasley being next, saying: “Next you’ll hear about… M**** Be******.” A follow-up post indicated the player was on the Detroit Pistons roster.
This was five months before the federal probe was disclosed. Beasley’s attorney argued against assuming guilt without charges or conviction, calling it “a dangerous narrative.”
Great investigative work
In the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast episode released Tuesday, the hosts identified the owner of the social media account as Mustafa Omar. They reached this conclusion after analyzing multiple X accounts and posts, providing screenshots and explanations.
came across an account selling sports betting picks linked to Omar
They found an account linked to Omar selling sports betting picks and managed to contact him for a phone call. Audio from this conversation is shared in the podcast:
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During the call, Omar said he learned about potential suspicious behavior from Beasley on Reddit.
Links to the Porter case
Tom Haberstroh asked Omar about a betting slip he posted on X about Jontay Porter having three or fewer rebounds and five or fewer points in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies on January 22, 2024, which won $1,670 from a $500 bet. Omar claimed it was sent to him by someone else.
In a Discord channel for his betting picks from November, Omar posted about a crypto project involving “people currently facing trial after profiting from a certain NBA gambling incident last season.” The Porter case is the only relevant trial.
The podcast hosts discovered Omar is Facebook friends with Ammar Awawdeh, a New York City deli owner accused of conspiring with Jontay Porter. When Haberstroh asked Omar if he knew Ammar, he said no. Further investigation revealed they are cousins, with many photos of them together.
X account Omar was communicating through and his Facebook profile were deleted
After the call, Haberstroh found that the X account and Omar’s Facebook profile were deleted.
- SCCG Management. The Gambling Industry’s Global Connector. Access Here.
- Source: SCCGManagement.com