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FOXBORO — Patriots receiver Kayshon Boutte is in trouble in Louisiana. Boutte has been arrested in Baton Rouge on charges related to illegal online gambling.
Boutte turned himself in Thursday and faces charges of computer fraud, which is a felony, and a misdemeanor charge of gambling prohibited to persons under 21. The charges allege that Boutte, who turned 21 last May, created a fraudulent online gaming store. He says it said he was 21 or older to be able to play legally while still a student at LSU.
He used that account to place nearly 9,000 illegal bets, including six on the LSU football team while he was a member of the Tigers in 2022.
The Louisiana State Police issued the following statement in this regard:
In July 2023, an online gambling company contacted investigators assigned to the Louisiana State Police Gaming Enforcement Division regarding sports betting placed by a prohibited person. Investigators discovered that former Louisiana State University (LSU) football player Kayshon Boutte, 21, of Baton Rouge, participated in sports betting from April 6, 2022, to May 7, 2023, when he was 20 years old. During this period, Boutte used an alias to circumvent the legal age requirement for sports betting in Louisiana. Between April 6, 2022 and May 7, 2023, the alias account Boutte is believed to have used placed more than 8,900 bets. Of the 8,900 bets, at least seventeen were on National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football games, and at least six of those bets were on LSU football.
On January 18, 2024, an arrest warrant was signed through the 19th Judicial District Court, charging Boutte with LRS 14:73.5 – Computer Fraud (Felony – One count) and LRS 27:260 – Gaming Prohibited by Persons under 21 years of age (misdemeanor – One count). Count). On January 25, 2024, Boutte was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Jail on the aforementioned charges. This investigation is still ongoing and additional charges may be filed.
The Patriots issued a statement saying the team is “aware that Kayshon Boutte is cooperating with Louisiana police regarding their investigation into a charge of underage gambling while he was a student at Louisiana State University.” The team does not plan to comment further on the matter.
The NFL is aware of the arrest but has no comment at this time. via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Boutte was a standout receiver in his first two seasons at LSU and was viewed as a potential high draft pick. But his stock fell after he struggled in his third year, and the Patriots selected him in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
He played in only five games for the Patriots as a rookie, limited to just 117 offensive snaps, and finished the season with just two receptions on seven targets for 19 yards.
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