The state of Louisiana has dropped the underage gambling and computer fraud charges against Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, ESPN reported Tuesday morning.
In January, Boutte was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish jail in Louisiana on multiple charges involving sports wagers with an online gambling company.
Boutte, 22, was facing one count of computer fraud (a felony) and one count of gaming prohibited for persons under 21 (a misdemeanor) as a result of actions that allegedly took place when he was a student-athlete at LSU.
According to police, investigators from the gaming enforcement division discovered Boutte used an alias to participate in sports gambling from April 6, 2022, until May 7, 2023. During this time, police said Boutte placed more than 8,900 wagers, including 17 on NCAA football games and six on LSU.
Boutte was a participant throughout New England’s voluntary offseason program and mandatory minicamp. Coach Jerod Mayo said he would continue to be a part of the team unless the Patriots heard otherwise from the league.
Boutte’s spot on the 53-man roster is not guaranteed, as the Patriots have a surplus of bodies at the position. He will likely be battling for the final spot against JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, and Jalen Reagor.
This story will be updated.
Nicole Yang can be reached at [email protected] her @nicolecyang.