Benjamin Tucker Patz, known in the betting community as "Parlay Patz," pleaded guilty to submitting interstate or foreign trade threats in March last year. Patz sent Instagram messages to four players on the Tampa Bay Rays after losing to the Chicago White Sox in the summer of 2019. He was arrested for the news a year later.
Court records say Patz told one player to "come into your house while you sleep" and "cut your family apart".
According to the report of Tampa Bay Times, Patz was in federal court in Tampa on Thursday afternoon for his sentence.
The charges could lead him to five years in prison. Instead, US District Judge Steven Merryday opted for a three-year probationary period as well as six months of house arrest, comprehensive mental health treatment and random drug testing. Merryday has also banned Patz from gambling in any form, whether online or in-store.
Reportedly, Patz was betting on seven-figure sports betting in 2019, but his lawyer suggested that Patz was simply a compulsive gambler and had received addiction therapy since the incident. Patz started working part-time and began attending college since his arrest in 2020.
He also offered an apology to the players he threatened during his sentence. While he was only charged with what he sent to players from the Rays, it has been documented that he sent similar messages to players at the Chicago White Sox, Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays, and San Diego Padres .
"I'd like to apologize to the victims," said Patz. "Not only those who are alleged, but all the victims."
US prosecutor Patrick Scruggs told Merryday that the prosecution did not believe Patz was going to follow through on his threats and therefore did not recommend serving time.