NCAA basketball players indicted in alleged sports-betting conspiracy

Twenty-six defendants were charged in an international conspiracy to rig college basketball games, U.S. Attorney David Metcalf said Thursday. The alleged conspiracy began in 2022 and lasted three years, spanning multiple NCAA conferences and Chinese Basketball Association games.

The case alleges that defendants colluded to throw games and guarantee certain losing point spreads. In-the-know sports bettors could then wager and reap millions of dollars on the fixed games. Players who participated in the scheme typically received bribes of up to $30,000, officials claim.

NCAA President Charlie Baker said Thursday the pattern of dishonesty revealed in the case came as no surprise. He noted that the NCAA has already finished or opened investigations into most of the teams named in the indictment.

Who are the defendants? The attorney’s office accused six defendants of spearheading the conspiracy. The list included former Chicago Bulls player Antonio Blakeney, gamblers Marves Fairley and Shane Hennen, trainers Jalen Smith and Roderick Winkler, and former college basketball player Alberto Laureano. The case implicates at least 39 players from 17 NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball teams.

Defendants face charges including bribery, conspiracy, and multiple counts of wire fraud. If convicted of bribery, defendants could spend up to five years in prison and pay a $250,000 fine. Conspiracy and wire fraud come with a harsher maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

Who did the scheme target? Officials believe fixers looked for underdog players whose deliberate errors were less likely to be noticed. Bribes paid out to players in the scheme totaled hundreds of thousands of dollars, officials claim.

The Big East, Atlantic 10, Sun Belt, and Horizon League conferences may all have been affected by the point-fixing scheme, according to investigators.

Dig deeper: Read Ray Hacke’s WORLD Opinions column on past sports gambling scandals.