NEWSLETTER
Former LSU and current New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte has been arrested and faces computer fraud charges and engaging in prohibited gaming for individuals under 21, as announced by Louisiana State Police on Thursday.
Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte was arrested in Louisiana for illegal sports betting
Boutte was taken into custody and, after posting a $600,000 bond, was released from the East Baton Rouge Parish jail, according to court records.
Authorities claim that Boutte, who was 20 at the time, partook in sports gambling between April 6, 2022, and May 7, 2023. During this timeframe, it is alleged that Boutte utilized an alias to surpass the legal age requirement for placing sports wagers in Louisiana. The police were reportedly alerted by an online gambling company concerning sports wagers placed by an underage individual. Boutte played at LSU from 2020 to 2022, and some of the wagers he is accused of making took place while he was a university athlete.
The suspected alias account linked to Boutte reportedly executed over 8,900 wagers. Among these wagers, a minimum of 17 were on college football games, with at least six involving LSU football.
According to The Athletic: “Police launched an investigation and found that Boutte opened a FanDuel account in Massachusetts on June 7, 2023, and the bank card attached to the account was under the name Tanisha Boutte, his mother. According to the affidavit, Boutte chose the username ‘kayshonboutte7’ for the account.”
“The affidavit said police later discovered a second account linked to Boutte under the name Kayla Fortenberry opened on April 5, 2022. That account was also funded by his mother’s bank card, and the account’s username was ‘kayshonboutte01,’ per the report.”
Boutte reportedly placed a bet on the LSU vs. Florida State game on September 4, 2022, predicting he would score a minimum of one touchdown and making another wager that he would accumulate over 82.5 receiving yards. According to the affidavit, both bets were components of an eight-leg parlay wager.
However, Boutte’s on-field performance in Florida State’s 24-23 victory that day fell short, as he only recorded 20 receiving yards and failed to score any touchdowns. The irony here is hilarious.
For those wondering, the NFL changed its Conduct Policy last offseason to allow the Commissioner discipline power for pre-NFL conduct.
Is Bill Belichick the odd man out in the head coaching carousel?
The Atlanta Falcons have officially hired Raheem Morris, the former defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams, as their head coach, as announced by the team on Thursday. While the Falcons’ coaching position initially appeared to be a potential landing spot for former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, the Falcons ultimately opted to hire Morris.
Following the conclusion of the 2023 season with a 7-10 record, the Falcons dismissed Arthur Smith, leading to the coaching search. Morris, 47, may not boast an impressive head-coaching track record, having posted a 17-31 record in three seasons with the Buccaneers, which is less favorable than the record that led to Smith’s departure (21-30). Additionally, Morris served as the interim head coach for the Falcons in 2020, achieving a 4-7 record after the firing of Dan Quinn.
Despite his coaching record, Morris brings valuable experience, a strong endorsement from his current head coach, Sean McVay of the Rams, and positive relationships within the Atlanta organization. Positioned between long-tenured coaches like Belichick and other Falcons coaching candidates who received multiple interviews, such as Bobby Slowik (Houston Texans offensive coordinator) and Ejiro Evero (Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator), Morris emerged as the choice for the head coaching role.
With the Falcons’ coaching position now filled, only the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders remain with head-coaching vacancies. Belichick, 71, has not interviewed for either of these positions, leaving the possibility that he could be absent from the NFL next season for the first time since 1974.
