NEW ORLEANS — New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte will not face charges related to illegal online gaming Police say it happened when he was a minor and still playing for Louisiana State University, a prosecutor said Tuesday.
Boutte was arrested in January after Louisiana State Police said he created an online betting account under a false name and placed thousands of illegal bets, including 17 on NCAA games, six of which were on LSU games.
The statement from the East Baton Rouge Parish district attorney’s office did not address allegations that Boutte bet on himself in a single game. It did say, however, that Boutte did not bet against himself or his team and that no one suffered financial loss as a result of his behavior.
The statement from First Assistant District Attorney Tracey Barbera also said Boutte completed a “gambling awareness” program and agreed to a ban on gambling in Massachusetts and on the online sites FanDuel and BET99.
“Given his mitigation measures, we believe a felony prosecution is not appropriate,” Barbera said in the release, which also praised the state police investigation.
Boutte is a native of New Iberia and a graduate of Westgate High School. He played three years at LSU as a wide receiver, appearing in 27 games, starting 21 of them.
Boutte was selected by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft.
He played sparingly as a rookie last season, appearing in just five games and catching two passes for 19 yards, and is expected to face tough competition to make the Patriots’ roster when they open training camp next week.
Boutte was present during the Patriots’ offseason work program this spring. Coach Jerod Mayo said in May that they were waiting to see what, if anything, the NFL had to say about his case.
“Right now he’s here. We’re waiting to hear from the league, but he’s here,” Mayo said. “He’s doing a good job for us.”
There was no immediate response to a request for comment from the Patriots on Tuesday.
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Kyle Hightower, an Associated Press reporter in Boston, contributed to this report.
