Jalen Smith pleads guilty in sweeping NCAA basketball point shaving scandal
Jalen Smith, one of the alleged fixers of a sprawling basketball point-shaving operation, admitted in federal court in Philadelphia that he played a key role in the scheme that stretched from U.S. college programs to a professional league in China.
Appearing before U.S. District Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro, the 30-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to bribery in sporting contests, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud. He also admitted to a separate charge of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Federal prosecutors say Smith worked as a central organizer in a network of so-called fixers who bribed basketball players to intentionally underperform during games. By manipulating individual performances and final margins, the group placed bets through sportsbooks designed to cash in when teams failed to meet expectations against the point spread.
Investigators say the operation ran from about September 2022 through February 2025 and targeted both NCAA Division I men’s basketball games and contests in the Chinese Basketball Association.
Authorities say the scheme initially took shape overseas. After early profits fixing games in the CBA, organizers shifted their focus to American college basketball, especially during the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 NCAA seasons.
Smith became one of the main coordinators. Prosecutors say he helped recruit players, manage betting strategies, and distribute bribe payments tied to manipulated performances.
Alleged role of Jalen Smith in basketball point shaving scheme
According to investigators, the conspirators approached players directly or through contacts in the basketball world. They used text messages, phone calls, and social media to offer bribes typically ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game in exchange for playing poorly or ensuring a team failed to cover the spread.
Prosecutors say the group deliberately focused on athletes whose bribe payments would “meaningfully supplement, or exceed,” their legitimate opportunities to earn money through name-image-likeness deals.
With betting markets available across dozens of states and millions of dollars wagered on college games each season, authorities say gamblers increasingly look for inside access to players who can influence outcomes without necessarily losing games outright.
Smith and other fixers would then place large wagers against the recruited players’ teams. If the bets hit, conspirators sometimes traveled to campuses or nearby cities to hand over cash payments.
Court filings say the broader scheme involved more than 39 players from at least 17 NCAA Division I teams and included attempts to manipulate more than 29 games.
At times, prosecutors say Smith contacted players during games to ensure the plan stayed on track. In one example, he texted a recruited athlete during halftime and urged him to underperform in the second half, saying the game “need[ed] to be a blowout,” that the player was “supposed to be . . . losing” and that the team needed to get “blow[n] out next half.”
In February 2024, two Nicholls State players agreed during FaceTime calls with Smith and other conspirators to ensure their team would not cover the spread against McNeese State in exchange for about $20,000 each. Before the game, the fixers placed roughly $100,000 in wagers on McNeese State to cover.
During the February 17 matchup, one of the bribed players scored zero points as McNeese State defeated Nicholls State 74–47, allowing the conspirators to win their bets. Shortly afterward, Smith traveled to Louisiana and arranged the delivery of about $32,000 in cash to the players as their payment for helping manipulate the game.
Investigators believe millions of dollars in wagers were placed as part of the operation, while hundreds of thousands of dollars were distributed to players who participated.
Smith also admitted to illegally possessing a firearm. When investigators searched his Charlotte residence in May 2025, they found a loaded Kahr Arms CT380 semi-automatic pistol despite his prior felony conviction.
The bribery charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Each wire fraud charge carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years, while the firearm offense carries a maximum penalty of 15 years.
Featured image: NCAA / Canva
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