Organizer Sentenced to Six Years in NCAA Point-Shaving Scheme

Overview

• Prosecutors won the first prison sentence when Jalen Smith was sentenced on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, to 72 months in federal prison and ordered to pay about $1.1 million in restitution, forfeit $75,000, and serve three years of supervised release.
• Smith pleaded guilty earlier this year to bribery and wire fraud for recruiting Division I players to underperform and also pleaded guilty to illegal gun possession after agents found a handgun at his home.
• Federal filings say Smith played a central role in placing bets and recruiting players in the 2023–24 and 2024–25 seasons, using texts and calls to direct players how to affect point spreads without necessarily costing teams games.
• The operation stretched from a 2022 fix in a Chinese pro league into U.S. college basketball, involved dozens of defendants, targeted at least 17 universities and roughly 29 games, and generated more than $3 million in illicit wagers with typical bribes of $10,000 to $30,000 per game.
• The investigation remains active: more than half of the charged defendants have pleaded guilty, other key figures are expected to plead soon, and trials for remaining defendants are scheduled to begin next year, raising new questions about how to protect lower-profile players and police growing sports betting risks.