Over two dozen charged in ‘massive scheme’ to rig college basketball games
Federal prosecutors charged 26 people in what officials called a “massive” international point‑shaving scheme that targeted NCAA Division I men’s basketball. The scheme, active from September 2022 through February of last year, allegedly involved gamblers bribing college players to underperform so bets against their teams would pay off – for example, ensuring a favored team lost by more than the point spread.
Authorities say the operation began by fixing games in the Chinese Basketball Association, wiht former Chicago Bulls player antonio Blakeney accused of colluding with Marvis Fairley and Shane Hennen, before shifting to U.S. college games. U.S.Attorney David Metcalf described the conspiracy as international and well organized, with recruiters using their basketball connections – as players, alumni, trainers, or recruiters – to add credibility and recruit participants.
Games involving many Division I programs were affected,including Abilene Christian,Butler,DePaul,Georgetown,St. John’s, Tulane, western Michigan and others. The NCAA, whose president Charlie Baker acknowledged prior awareness of many of the allegations, has been investigating most of the named teams; the revelations follow earlier NCAA bans of three players for sports‑betting-related game manipulation.
Investigators say the scheme was lucrative for conspirators and highlights ongoing integrity risks posed by sports betting to college athletics.
Over two dozen charged in ‘massive scheme’ to rig college basketball games
Federal prosecutors charged 26 people in a massive college basketball point-shaving scheme Thursday, which involved numerous players and teams from NCAA Division I men’s basketball.
College basketball players were bribed to throw games and enrich sports gamblers during a recent period from September 2022 to February of last year.
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, David Metcalf, described the scheme as “massive” and an “international criminal conspiracy.”
“It enveloped the world of college basketball,” he said at a news conference in Philadelphia.
The gamblers often placed bets and then recruited players with the promise of sums in the tens of thousands if they could purposely underperform in their games. If the players properly underperformed, the gamblers would win their bets, often against the teams of the bribed players.
“For example, if a team was favored to lose by 4 points, the player would receive a bribe to underperform so that his team would lose by more than that,” Metcalf said.
Several prominent schools’ teams games were involved in the scheme: Abilene Christian, Alabama State, Butler, DePaul, Duquesne, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Fordham, Georgetown, Kennesaw State, Kent State, La Salle, McNeese State, Nicholls State, Ohio University, St. Louis University, St. John’s, SUNY Buffalo, Tulane, and Western Michigan University.
The betting scheme began with bets placed on Chinese Basketball Association games. Former Chicago Bulls player Antonio Blakeney allegedly colluded with Marvis Fairley and Shane Hennen to fix CBA games.
“The scheme proved lucrative,” Metcalf said. “Mr. Hennen, we allege, texted a confederate that the only things certain in life were ‘death, taxes, and Chinese basketball.’”
The betting scheme was then moved to the United States, and conspirators began recruiting college basketball players to participate.
“They picked these men because they were well connected in the world of college basketball,” Metcalf said. “They knew the players, many of them were players themselves, they were alumni, they were trainers, they were recruiters, they were networkers, they were people of influence, and because of that influence, they added gravitas and legitimacy to the scheme.”
NCAA President Charlie Baker was aware of the charges, and the organization had already investigated, or was investigating, almost all the teams named.
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“The pattern of college basketball game integrity conduct revealed by law enforcement today is not entirely new information to the NCAA,” Baker said in a statement.
The college basketball betting scheme comes after the NCAA banned three prominent Division 1 basketball players for participating in “sports-betting related game manipulation.”
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