A sprawling federal indictment unsealed Wednesday details a brazen, years-long sports bribery scheme that allegedly fixed professional games in China before corrupting men’s basketball programs across the U.S. college landscape.
Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania have charged 25 individuals—including three alleged ringleaders and a litany of current and former NCAA Division I players—with conspiracy, wire fraud, and bribery. The charges describe a syndicate that wagered millions of dollars on games they had rigged, delivering bags of cash to college athletes who agreed to “underperform” to ensure betting lines were covered.
The indictment paints a picture of a sophisticated operation that exploited the transfer portal and the desperation of players looking for a payday.
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The “Fixers” and the Strategy
According to court documents, the operation was allegedly run by Jalen “J” Smith, Marves “Yez” Fairley, Shane “Sugar Shane” Hennen, and Roderick “Big Rod” Winkler.
The group’s alleged modus operandi was “point shaving.” Rather than simply paying a team to lose, the fixers bribed players to ensure their team lost by a specific margin or failed to cover the point spread—often specifically targeting the first half of games to minimize the time players had to manipulate the score.
The investigation uncovered text messages where the defendants openly discussed the scheme’s reliability. In April 2023, regarding a fixed game in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), defendant Shane Hennen allegedly texted a co-conspirator: “Nothing gu[a]rantee[d] in this world but death[,] taxes[,] and Chinese basketball.”
From China to the NCAA
Prosecutors allege the scheme began in 2022 within the CBA, China’s top professional league. The indictment names Antonio Blakeney, a former NBA player active in the CBA, as a key figure who allegedly took bribes to tank games for the Jiangsu Dragons.
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Following their success overseas, the ring reportedly pivoted to the United States for the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 seasons.
The indictment lists targeted universities that span the breadth of Division I basketball, including Tulane, DePaul, Southern Mississippi, Robert Morris, North Carolina A&T, Kennesaw State, and Eastern Michigan, among others.
“I Tried… They Not Hoopin”
The 70-page filing is filled with transcripts of FaceTime calls and texts detailing the pressure placed on athletes to deliver results.
In one instance involving Fordham University, a player texted Jalen Smith after a game to apologize for failing to fix the score, writing, “I tried,” and complaining that the opposing team played too poorly for him to manipulate the spread effectively.
In another alleged incident involving Coppin State, Smith texted a player at halftime, furious that the game was tied when it was supposed to be a blowout. “Wtf u doing… U supposed to be fxcking losing[,] you costing us money,” Smith wrote. The player responded that he “tried everything in my power.”
Bags of Cash
The indictment outlines a lucrative payment system. Players were allegedly promised between $10,000 and $30,000 per game to miss shots, commit turnovers, or play lax defense.
Following successful fixes, the ringleaders reportedly traveled to campuses to hand-deliver cash. The indictment details Smith flying to Chicago to deliver $40,000 to DePaul players and sending photos of stacks of cash to players at Kennesaw State to prove he was good for the money.
In one text exchange, a player from Robert Morris University, after successfully fixing a game, messaged Smith: “We might as well do the next one too… [this] was too easy.”
The defendants face multiple counts of bribery in sporting contests and wire fraud. The NCAA has not yet issued a statement regarding the eligibility of the dozens of players implicated in the filings.
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