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Feds Charge 20 in Alleged Basketball Point‑Shaving Ring Spanning China and NCAA

Prosecutors describe a China‑to‑NCAA operation that used five‑figure bribes to manipulate betting markets.

Overview

  • An unsealed 70‑page indictment in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania charges 20 defendants with bribery in sporting contests, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aiding and abetting.
  • Prosecutors allege more than 39 players across over 17 Division I men’s teams fixed or attempted to fix upwards of 29 games during the 2023–24 and 2024–25 seasons.
  • The scheme allegedly began in the Chinese Basketball Association in 2022 before shifting to U.S. college games, with bribes typically ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game.
  • Court filings describe tactics including FaceTime calls, burner phones, proxy bettors and large wagers placed at multiple sportsbooks, including Rivers Casino in Philadelphia, totaling millions of dollars.
  • Two alleged fixers, Shane Hennen and Marves Fairley, are also tied to a prior NBA gambling probe, former NBA/CBA player Antonio Blakeney is named as “charged elsewhere” with reporting citing a $200,000 payment, and the NCAA says most implicated teams were already under integrity investigations.