Former LSU star and the Patriots’ 2023 sixth-round draft selection, Kayshon Boutte, was arrested in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Thursday for placing almost 9,000 illegal sports bets while underage during his time at LSU.
Boutte allegedly created a fraudulent online gaming account, indicating he was 21 years of age or older. On this account, he placed various bets, including some of those bets on LSU football.
Louisiana State Police found that Boutte placed these bets from April 6, 2022, until May 7, 2023, before he turned 21. Boutte turned himself in to the authorities on multiple charges, which include a felony charge of computer fraud and a misdemeanor count of gaming prohibited for persons under 21. The investigation remains ongoing, with additional charges possible, police said.
State police also said they were contacted by “FanDuel Sportsbook” in July of 2023 about a “prohibited person” potentially making several sports wagers.
According to WAFB, “Boutte was booked, posted a $6,000 bond, and was then immediately released from the East Baton Rogue Parish Prison.”
LSU came out with a statement on Thursday: “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. Since then, we have fully cooperated with all relevant authorities involved in the investigation and will continue to do so.”
A spokesperson on behalf of the New England Patriots also released a statement: “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.”
Boutte did not see the football field much at all during his rookie season with New England, as the wide receiver recorded only 2 catches on 7 targets for a total of 19 yards.
With a probable re-tooling of the offensive coaching staff taking place and New England having a lot of money to spend in free agency, it’s hard to believe the organization will not be bringing in any new faces to the wide receiver room. Not to mention, the 2024 NFL draft class has some of the greatest and deepest wide receiver talent in recent memory.
With an uncertain future ahead for Kayshon Boutte, it’s going to be difficult to picture him in a Patriots uniform come the summer of 2024.
