Report: Arrest warrant issued for Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte
An arrest warrant has reportedly been issued for New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, WAFB Channel 9 reports. Boutte is being charged with Computer Fraud, which is a felony, along with a misdemeanor count of Gaming Prohibited for Persons under 21. WAFB further reports that it is expected Boutte will "turn himself in at the […]
An arrest warrant has reportedly been issued for New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, WAFB Channel 9 reports.
Boutte is being charged with Computer Fraud, which is a felony, along with a misdemeanor count of Gaming Prohibited for Persons under 21.
WAFB further reports that it is expected Boutte will "turn himself in at the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison later today."
This all reportedly occurred while Boutte was at LSU.
"While he was still a minor, Boutte is accused of creating a fraudulent online gaming account indicating that he was 21 years old or older and; therefore, legally allowed to gamble," WAFB wrote. "He is also accused of illegally gambling, using that fraudulent account, to place thousands of different bets including some on LSU football. The wagers and payouts involved “several hundred thousand dollars,” said one source familiar with the case."
Boutte played at LSU from 2020 to 2022, with some of the bets he placed said to be during his time as a player at the school.
There were also rumors that he was involved in a large incident while at LSU, but the off field incidents were never confirmed.
The Patriots receiver was drafted in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and despite making the 53-man roster, he only appeared in five games this season.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the NFL issued a small statement.
"We are aware of the matter but have no further comment at this time."
And here is one from a Patriots spokesperson (via MassLive's Mark Daniels)
“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.”
And LSU has also issued a statement on the matter.
Here is the full statement put out by the Louisiana State Police regarding the investigation into the illegal sports gaming scheme:
"Investigators assigned to the Louisiana State Police Gaming Enforcement Division were contacted by an online gambling company regarding sports wagers made by a prohibited person. Investigators learned that former Louisiana State University (LSU) football player, 21-year-old Kayshon Boutte of Baton Rouge, participated in sports gambling from April 6, 2022, until May 7, 2023, when he was 20 years old. During this period, Boutte used an alias to circumvent the legal age required for placing sports wagers in Louisiana. Between April 6, 2022, and May 7, 2023, the alias account believed to be used by Boutte placed over 8,900 wagers. 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," the statement said.
On January 18, 2024, an arrest warrant was signed through the 19th Judicial District Court, charging Boutte with L.R.S. 14:73.5 – Computer Fraud (Felony – One Count) and L.R.S. 27:260 – Gaming Prohibited for Persons Under 21 (Misdemeanor – One 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 forthcoming."
This story will continue to be updated.
