As of this writing, federal prosecutors in the United States have charged 20 persons. They arrested them for their participation in an “illegal” betting operation aimed at point-shaving within the NCAA and the CBA. Fifteen of the defendants played college basketball at the time. The other five are each described by federal prosecutors as fixers who directed the scheme.
The likely charges against the defendants include conspiracy to commit Wire Fraud and Bribery in Sporting Contests. The indictment shows that the fixers specifically targeted college basketball players. They provided these bribes—which ran from $10,000 to $30,000 per game on average. The purported conspiracy to fix games allegedly lasted from September 2022 until at least February 2025.
The case has earned nationwide publicity. This spike in interest comes on the heels of last year’s unprecedented federal enforcement action against illegal gambling enterprises associated with professional basketball, resulting in the charging of more than 30 people. Authorities indicated that some of those charged sought to target games at Nicholls State University and several other institutions, including Tulane University, Northwestern State University, La Salle University, DePaul University, Robert Morris University, University of Southern Mississippi, and North Carolina A&T State University.
Every single one of the 15 defendants were once student athletes at Division 1 NCAA institutions, as recently as the 2024-2025 season. During the 2022-2023 CBA season, these individuals allegedly attempted to manipulate men’s basketball games through a practice known as “point shaving,” a method used to influence the game’s final score.
Federal prosecutors in Philadelphia announced the indictment publicly. It features a ten-chapter, 70-page playbook that lays out the specific charges and evidence of conspiracy against each of the defendants. The US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is presiding over this matter related to the case.
Included in those charged are two men who had dedicated their lives to training and developing youth basketball players. Their inclusion in the indictment illustrates how far-reaching the alleged conspiracy is. It calls into question the integrity of both collegiate and professional sports in a big way.
