New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte was arrested Thursday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, over allegations of illegal sports betting while he played at LSU.
Louisiana State Police said the charges against Boutte, 21, include a felony count of computer fraud and a misdemeanor count of gambling prohibited for persons under 21. The investigation is ongoing, police said, with additional charges possible.
Investigators assigned to the Louisiana State Police Gaming Enforcement Division found that Boutte bet on sports from April 6, 2022, until May 7, 2023, when he was 20. Boutte allegedly used an alias to get around the age requirement for placing sports wagers in Louisiana.
The alias account believed to be used by Boutte placed more than 8,900 wagers, with at least 17 bets on NCAA football games — including at least six involving LSU, according to police.
“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,” LSU said Thursday in a statement. “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.”
The NCAA prohibits players from wagering on any sport and has varying penalties for athletes found to have wagered on their team and school.
Boutte’s wagering, according to police, continued for approximately a week after he was taken by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2023 draft. The NFL’s gambling policy allows players to bet on sports, but not on anything related to the league.
The NFL declined to comment on Boutte’s arrest.
Boutte appeared in just five games as a rookie this season with the Patriots and had two catches for 19 yards.
“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,” a Patriots spokesperson told ESPN in a statement, adding that the team was not anticipating any additional comments on the matter.
Boutte set an SEC single-game record with 308 receiving yards as a freshman against Ole Miss in December 2020 and had nine touchdown catches the following season as a sophomore. But he battled injuries during a disappointing junior season with the Tigers before being selected by the Patriots in the sixth round of last year’s draft.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss and Mark Schlabach contributed to this report.
