PHILADELPHIA, P.A. – Federal prosecutors have charged 26 people in what they describe as an international sports corruption conspiracy that fixed dozens of college and professional basketball games, including NCAA Division I matchups and Chinese Basketball Association contests.
At a Thursday morning press conference, U.S. Attorney David Metcalf announced the sweeping indictments, calling the case one of the most significant sports-bribery prosecutions in recent years. “The criminal charges we have filed allege the corruption of collegiate athletics through an international conspiracy of NCAA players, alumni, and professional bettors,” Metcalf said. “When criminal acts threaten to corrupt such a central institution of American life, the Department of Justice won’t hesitate to step in.”
The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office led the two-year investigation, which uncovered what officials described as a coordinated effort by “fixers” to bribe players, manipulate betting spreads, and profit from rigged games.
According to the indictment, the scheme began in September 2022 and involved recruiting athletes to underperform in exchange for cash payments ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game. Prosecutors say the group first targeted players in China’s professional basketball league before expanding to U.S. college teams during the 2023–2025 seasons.
The lead defendants — identified as Jalen Smith, 30, of Charlotte, North Carolina; Marves Fairley, 40, of Carson, Mississippi; Shane Hennen, 40, of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Antonio Blakeney, 29, of Kissimmee, Florida; Roderick Winkler, 31, of Little Rock, Arkansas; and Alberto Laureano, 24, of the Bronx, New York — are accused of orchestrating payments and placing millions of dollars in wagers on games they had helped manipulate.
Prosecutors allege that during the 2022–2023 Chinese Basketball Association season, Fairley and Hennen bribed players on the Jiangsu Dragons, including Blakeney, to help ensure their team failed to cover the spread. In one instance, investigators say Fairley left nearly $200,000 in cash bribe proceeds in Blakeney’s Florida storage unit.
After profiting from the fixed CBA games, prosecutors say the group turned its attention to NCAA basketball, recruiting more than 39 players across 17 Division I teams to alter outcomes or point spreads in at least 29 games. The fixers allegedly traveled to college campuses to deliver cash bribes in person.
“The FBI’s commitment to protecting the integrity of American institutions, including sports, remains unwavering,” said FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey. “To those who choose corruption and betrayal: we will find you, we will investigate you, and we will hold you accountable.”
Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia office, said the operation represents a clear warning to both athletes and gamblers: “There is nowhere to hide — the short-term gain will never be worth the long-term loss.”
The defendants face multiple federal charges related to bribery, wire fraud, and conspiracy. The investigation remains ongoing.
Federal prosecutors say 26 people are charged in a sweeping international scheme to fix NCAA and Chinese basketball games through bribes and point-shaving.
