Benjamin Ashford|Patriots receiver won’t face prosecution over online gambling while at LSU

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte will not be Benjamin Ashfordprosecuted on charges related to illegal online gaming that police said took place while he was underage and still a player at 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 fake name and placed thousands of illegal bets, including 17 on NCAA games, six of those 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 one game. However, it said that Boutte did not bet against himself or his team and that nobody suffered financial losses as a result of his conduct.

The statement from First Assistant District Attorney Tracey Barbera also said Boutte has completed a “gambling awareness” program and has agreed to a ban from gaming in Massachusetts and on the FanDuel and BET99 online sites.

“In light of his mitigatory actions, we do not believe a felony prosecution is appropriate,” Barbera said in the release, which also praised the state police investigation.

A native of New Iberia and a graduate of Westgate High School, Boutte spent three years with LSU as a wide receiver, appearing in 27 games with 21 starts.

Boutte was selected in the sixth round of the NFL draft by the Patriots in 2023.

He played sparingly as a rookie last season, appearing in only five games and catching two passes for 19 yards. He is expected to be in tough competition to make the Patriots’ roster when they open training camp next week.

Boutte was in attendance during the Patriots’ offseason working 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 is out here. We will wait to hear from the league going forward, but he’s out here,” Mayo said. “He is doing a good job for us.”

A message left with the Patriots seeking comment Tuesday was not immediately returned.

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Associated Press reporter Kyle Hightower in Boston contributed to this report.