New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte has been arrested on charges related to illegal online gaming while he was at LSU, Louisiana State Police have announced.
Boutte, 21, created a fraudulent online account, using an alias, police said in a news release, which detailed the volume of bets placed from that account.
"Between April 6, 2022, and May 7, 2023, the alias account believed to be used by Boutte placed over 8,900 wagers," police said. "Of the 8,900 wagers, at least seventeen were on National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football games, with at least six of those wagers on LSU football."
Boutte turned himself in on a felony charge of computer fraud and a misdemeanour count of gaming prohibited for persons under 21. He was booked at the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison and then immediately released after posting a $6,000 bond, per a report from television station WAFB. The report said the wagers and pay-outs of the bets reached "several hundred thousand dollars."
LSU issued a statement on the matter Thursday.
"In July 2023, LSU was made aware of allegations regarding a former student-athlete's improper conduct related to sports gambling while enrolled at the University. Since then, we have fully cooperated with all relevant authorities involved in the investigation and will continue to do so. We have no evidence that any other student-athletes participated in these prohibited activities, and we are grateful for measures that detect and discourage sports gambling related misconduct."
A source told WAFB that Boutte never bet "against himself" or his actions in LSU games.
Boutte played for three seasons at LSU from 2020-22, catching 131 passes for 1,782 yards and 16 touchdowns in 27 games.
The Patriots drafted him in the sixth round in 2023 and he appeared in five NFL games, catching two passes for 19 yards.
Meanwhile, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey and four post-season quarterbacks were named the finalists for the NFL Most Valuable Player award.
The Associated Press awards in eight categories, including MVP, will be handed out 8 February at the 13th annual NFL Honors ceremony.
Joining McCaffrey as a finalist are his teammate Brock Purdy, and Purdy's fellow quarterbacks: Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills), Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens) and Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys).
Jackson earned MVP honours in 2019. Last year's winner, Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, was not among the finalists.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who triumphantly returned to play this season after going into cardiac arrest on the field during a game in Cincinnati in January 2023, led the finalists in the Comeback Player of the Year category.
The final group also included Joe Flacco, who went from out-of-work quarterback to leading the Cleveland Browns into the playoffs.
The finalists for all eight postseason awards are:
Most Valuable Player
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills quarterback
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens quarterback
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers running back
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys quarterback
Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers quarterback
Defensive Player of the Year
DaRon Bland, Dallas Cowboys cornerback
Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end
Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns defensive end
Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys linebacker
T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker
Offensive Player of the Year
Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins wide receiver
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens quarterback
CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers running back
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys quarterback
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions running back
Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions tight end
Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver
Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons running back
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans quarterback
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Will Anderson, Houston Texans defensive end
Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle
Joey Porter Jr., Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback
Kobie Turner, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle
Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks cornerback
Comeback Player of the Year
Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns quarterback
Damar Hamlin, Buffalo Bills safety
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams quarterback
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins quarterback
Coach of the Year
Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions
John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans
Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
Assistant Coach of the Year
Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator
Mike Macdonald, Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator
Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator
Jim Schwartz, Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator
Bobby Slowik, Houston Texans offensive coordinator
