Federal prosecutors unseal sweeping NCAA basketball illegal game-fixing scheme tied to China
Federal prosecutors in Philadelphia have unsealed criminal charges in what they say was a years-long, international scheme to rig NCAA Division I men’s basketball games, and even some pro games in China, all to make money through illegal sports betting.
Speaking at a news conference, David Metcalf, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, said the case involves “the criminal corruption of collegiate athletics” and charged that 26 defendants were behind game-fixing operations in the U.S. and overseas. Stressing the broader significance of the allegations, Metcalf said: “When criminals pollute the purity of sports by manipulating competition, it doesn’t just imperil the integrity of sports betting markets. It imperils the integrity of sport itself and everything that sports represent to us.”
According to the indictment filed in federal court and reviewed by ReadWrite, the defendants are charged with violations including bribery in sporting contests, wire fraud, conspiracy, and aiding and abetting. Prosecutors stress that the charges are only allegations, and that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they’re proven guilty. The case, officially titled United States v. Smith et al., was filed on January 14, 2026.
NCAA basketball point shaving scandal allegedly originates in China
The government says the whole scheme started back in 2022 in the Chinese Basketball Association and then later spread into U.S. college basketball. The indictment describes how professional bettors Marves Fairley and Shane Hennen recruited former NBA and LSU star Antonio Blakeney, who was then playing for the Jiangsu Dragons in China, to underperform in games so betting lines could be exploited.
One example cited in the indictment is a March 6, 2023 game between Jiangsu and Guangdong. Blakeney, who prosecutors say averaged more than 32 points per game that season, scored just 11 as Guangdong covered the point spread and the bettors allegedly won large wagers.
After another fixed game on March 15, 2023, Hennen later reassured a co-conspirator in a text message: “Nothing gu[a]rantee[d] in this world but death[,] taxes[,] and Chinese basketball.”
Prosecutors say that after making money off fixed games in China, the same group turned its attention to U.S. college basketball during the 2023–24 and 2024–25 seasons. According to the indictment, fixers including Jalen Smith, Marves Fairley, Shane Hennen, Roderick Winkler, and Alberto Laureano, brought in NCAA players and paid them to deliberately play badly so their teams wouldn’t cover the betting spread.
The indictment also says those bribes usually ran between $10,000 and $30,000 per game, and that the group used FaceTime calls, burner phones, and proxy bettors to try to hide what they were doing. In total, prosecutors allege that more than 39 players on more than 17 NCAA Division I men’s teams fixed or attempted to fix over 29 games, with wagers totaling millions of dollars and players receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes.
Detailed examples in the charging document include alleged fixed games involving Nicholls State, Tulane, St. Louis, Fordham, Buffalo, and DePaul, among others.
NCAA response
The NCAA said the federal case aligns with integrity concerns it has been tracking internally. In a statement, NCAA President Charlie Baker said: “Protecting competition integrity is of the utmost importance for the NCAA. We are thankful for law enforcement agencies working to detect and combat integrity issues and match manipulation in college sports.”
NCAA President Baker issues statement regarding sports betting indictments in college athletics, calls on remaining states to ban risky bets. https://t.co/52OPglMTAb
— NCAA News (@NCAA_PR) January 15, 2026
The NCAA says it has opened investigations into about 40 student-athletes at 20 different schools over the past year. So far, 11 players from seven schools have been permanently ruled ineligible for betting on their own games, sharing inside information, or being involved in game manipulation. An additional 13 athletes from eight schools were found to have failed to cooperate and are no longer competing.
The association again urged states and regulators to eliminate college prop bets, warning they create integrity risks and predatory bettors.
Connection to a wider basketball betting crackdown
The college basketball case is unfolding against the backdrop of a broader focus on sports-betting integrity in professional basketball. In recent months, a series of high-profile NBA-related betting investigations has put the spotlight on suspicious wagering activity linked to players like Damon Jones, Chauncey Billups, and Terry Rozier. While those cases are separate, they’ve added to growing worries among regulators and leagues that the fast growth of legalized sports gambling has made athletes and games more vulnerable to being manipulated.
Prosecutors in the Philadelphia case made clear they are not accusing any NBA players of being part of the NCAA scheme, but officials and league executives say the broader pattern shows just how big the risk has become.
The defendants in United States v. Smith et al. are expected to make their first appearances in federal court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. If they’re convicted, they could face long prison sentences and the loss of any money tied to the alleged betting operation.
As Metcalf warned when announcing the case: “At this stage, these are just allegations. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty, beyond a reasonable doubt, in a court of law.”
Featured image: Canva / NCAA
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