Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte arrested for taking part in illegal sports betting while at LSU
Former LSU wide receiver Kayshon Boutte has been arrested and charged with two counts relating to alleged illegal sports betting while he was still with the Tigers, including several wagers placed on his own team's games.
According to a release by Louisiana State Police on Thursday, Louisiana State Police Gaming Enforcement Division investigators in July 2023 were contacted by an online gambling company in relation to sports wagers made by a prohibited person: Boutte, who at the time he was alleged to have made the wagers was not yet of legal betting age.
Investigators alleged Boutte participated in sports gambling from April 2022 through May 2023, at which time he was 20 years old. He is alleged to have used an alias to circumvent the legal age requirements in the state of Louisiana. Boutte left the program after the 2022 season to enter the 2023 NFL draft, where he was a sixth-round selection. He is now a member of the New England Patriots, though he was only active for three games this season and only caught two passes for 19 yards combined.
Here's everything you need to know about his arrest and the charges he faces:
Kayshon Boutte arrest, explained
Boutte was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish jail on Thursday on two charges relating to his alleged involvement in illegal sports betting. Per Louisiana State Police, Boutte, then 20 years old, allegedly created an alias to circumvent the minimum age requirement to place sports wagers in Louisiana (21).
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He is alleged to have placed more than 8,900 wagers using his alias from April 6, 2022 thorugh May 7, 2023. Per the release, he was alleged to have placed at least 17 wagers on NCAA football games, including six of which were placed on LSU football.
What is Kayshon Boutte charged with?
Boutte faces the following charges though, as the statement read on Thursday, "this investigation is still ongoing, and additional charges may be forthcoming."
- Computer Fraud (felony)
- Gaming Prohibited for Persons Under 21 (misdemeanor)
Gaming under the age of 21, a misdemeanor, carries a penalty of up to six months imprisonment or a fine of up to $1,000 dollars, or both. Any winnings that were acquired under the age of 21 will be remitted back to the gambling organization.
The more serious of Boutte's two charges is computer fraud, a felony. According to the Louisiana legislature, computer fraud is defined as "the accessing or causing to be accessed of any computer, computer system, computer network, or any part thereof with the intent to defraud or obtain money, property, or services by means of false or fraudulent conduct, practices, or representations, or through the fraudulent alteration, deletion, or insertion of programs or data."
It carries a penalty of up to $10,000 in fines, five years imprisonment, or both.
LSU statement on Kayshon Boutte
LSU issued the following statement regarding Boutte:
“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.
New England Patriots statement on Kayshon Boutte
The Patriots released the following statement regarding Boutte's arrest:
“The New England Patriots are aware that Kayshon Boutte is cooperating with Louisiana police regarding their investigation into an underage gambling charge while he was a student at Louisiana State University. I don’t anticipate that we will be providing any additional comments at this time.”
Kayshon Boutte stats
Boutte played three seasons at LSU from 2020 through 2022, accumulating 131 catches for 1,782 yards and 16 touchdowns. His final season in 2022 (when he was alleged to have illegally bet on games) saw increases in both catches and yards from the prior season. However, he caught a career-low two touchdowns that year.
Here's a season-by-season breakdown of his time at LSU:
- 2020: 45 catches for 735 yards and five touchdowns
- 2021: 38 catches for 509 yards and nine touchdowns
- 2022: 48 catches for 538 yards and two touchdowns