Kayshon Boutte arrested, charged for involvement in illegal sports betting
Former LSU and current New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte was arrested early Thursday morning on charges relating to illegal online gambling following a thorough investigation by the Louisiana State Police, WAFB, a local news station in Baton Rouge, La., was among the first to report Thursday.
The state accuses Boutte of creating an account under a fake name, Kayla Fortenberry, in 2022 so that he could place bets online while still not being 21. Boutte allegedly placed 17 bets on NCAA Football, with six of those bets on LSU football, including a game where he bet on himself to score at least one touchdown and finish with over 82.5 receiving yards.
I guess that’s better than the alternative of betting on himself to do worse, which would have raised a whole new set of questions. In all, according to the warrant, Boutte deposited $132,147.53, won $556,267.58 and withdrew $50.282.36, allegedly using the majority of the money to place more bets.
WAFB reported that Boutte turned himself in on a charge of computer fraud and a felony/misdemeanor count of Gaming Prohibited for Persons under 21. He was booked at the Baton Rouge Parish Prison but quickly posted his $6,000 bond. Boutte is now a free man, but the release notes indicate that more charges are likely to come.
Boutte may not be out of hot water quite yet. The NFL hasn’t even stepped in yet and they very likely will hand out some sort of punishment. In the past, we have seen guys lose entire seasons for illegal gambling; think Calvin Ridley or Jameson Williams. It’s not crazy to think a similar punishment could be coming Boutte’s way.
Boutte was taken in the sixth round by the Patriots in the 2023 NFL Draft, playing in five games for them in 2023. He could be cut if the punishment is severe enough, which would definitely be an unfortunate way to end your career.
He definitely doesn’t have the pedigree other guys have had of being worth the one-year wait. He is a very replaceable player and likely won’t be worth the headache in the eyes of the New England Patriots front office. The Patriots have become known for missing when it comes to drafting receivers–and Kayshon Boutte appears to be no different.
As stated earlier, this is a recent development, and more information is likely to arise in the following days and weeks, likely in the form of more charges and punishments for Boutte himself. For now, Boutte is a free man on an NFL roster; I just don’t expect it to stay that way.
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