Fixer in college hoops scandal receives six years in prison as sports betting trials kick off

When the NCAA Division I college basketball season begins early next month, a defendant in one of the most pernicious point-shaving scandals to hit the sport will have already received a measure of closure.

On Tuesday, weeks before the opening tip, Jalen Smith learned his fate in a Philadelphia courtroom. Smith, an admitted match fixer, used his proximity to a bevy of student athletes to rig a host of games over a two-year period. At times, the fixers got into the pocket of opponents facing prominent coaches Rick Pitino and Dusty May, each of whom have won national titles over their successful careers.  

Appearing before US District Judge District Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro, a contrite Smith took responsibility for his role in the comprehensive scheme. All told, the case has ensnared at least 20 players from more than a dozen programs around the nation. Smith, 30, received a 72-month prison sentence and was ordered to pay restitution of approximately $1.1 million. The term is on the low end of sentencing guidelines, which fell in a range of 70 to 87 months in federal prison.

“My decisions have consequences and I accept all of them,” said Smith before the judge.

As leagues, regulators and legislators feverishly search for a framework to restore integrity in sports, the Smith hearing kickstarts a slew of gambling-related matters at courtrooms throughout the nation. By the end of March, courtrooms will be filled with former professional athletes, bookmakers and poker players all facing charges associated with match fixing.

Five-figure bribes to participating players

Federal prosecutors charged Smith in January in connection with the comprehensive bribery and point-shaving scheme. As prosecutors allege, participating players typically received bribery payments from a syndicate in the range of $10,000 to $30,000 for engaging in the conspiracy.

While Smith was named as the lead defendant, he did not participate in an alleged Chinese Basketball Association scheme that predated the one in college basketball, according to Rocco Cipparone, his attorney.

Another individual named in the indictment is Antonio Blakeney, a former NBA player with the Chicago Bulls, who now competes in Israel. During the 2022-2023 CBA season, Blakeney appeared on the roster of the Jiangsu Dragons, a team that featured the likes of Greg Oden, Toney Douglas and Chris Herren in the past.

In one incident, Blakeney allegedly informed co-conspirators of his intentions to sit out of a 15 March 2023 game against the Zhejiang Golden Bulls. Blakeney, a former guard at LSU, also informed the syndicate that a Dragons’ teammate would miss the matchup, prosecutors allege.

With the intel in tow, the syndicate allegedly placed a six-figure amount on the Golden Bulls. The Dragons suffered a crushing 121-80 loss, resulting in an easy win for the conspirators.

Death, taxes and Chinese basketball

While the syndicate apparently placed heavy wagers at legal sportsbooks throughout the US, some were allegedly made at Pennsylvania casinos, most notably BetRivers Philadelphia.

Two of Smith’s co-defendants, Shane Hennen and Marves Fairley, are also charged in a Brooklyn conspiracy involving several former NBA players. In another instance involving a Blakeney game in China, the syndicate allegedly wagered $198,300 on a single game at BetRivers.

The arrangement proved to be such a lock that Hennen allegedly texted a co-conspirator: “Nothing is guaranteed in life but Death, taxes and Chinese basketball.”

Blakeney, a member of Israeli professional team Hapoel Tel Aviv, has not been extradited to the US. On 8 October, Blakeney scored a team-high 30 points in a EuroLeague defeat to Valencia. His multi-year contract with the Israeli team runs through 2029.

For his efforts, Blakeney was handsomely compensated by the syndicate. According to a 2026 complaint, Fairley allegedly left a package with approximately $200,000 in Blakeney’s Florida storage unit.

Infiltrating the Blue Demons

Armed with the confidence that the outcome of a basketball game could be easily manipulated, the syndicate turned to college hoops. In February 2024, alone, Smith worked in concert with Blakeney to recruit players from more than a half-dozen Division I schools, court records show. DePaul, a perennial underperformer in the Big East, served as a prime target for the syndicate.

According to prosecutors, Smith, Blakeney and others recruited Micawber Etienne to take part in the scheme. Etienne, a 6’10” forward who started his collegiate career at UCLA, then recruited three other teammates to join him. Over a three-week span, the Blue Demons players allegedly underperformed in three games, culminating with a 104-77 loss to St. John’s on 5 March.

The Red Storm entered the locker room at halftime with a 54-28 lead, comfortably above the 15-point first-half spread at participating sportsbooks. Prior to the game, Hennen, Fairley and others working at their direction wagered $52,395 on St. John’s to cover the opening half spread, court records indicate. Leading by several points, Pitino’s team unleashed a 30-6 run to put the game away before halftime. Two other defendants, Jalen Terry and Da’Sean Nelson, combined to score just four points for DePaul in the opening stanza.

While four DePaul players were allegedly in on the fix, Smith still appeared concerned. During the game, he even texted Etienne, urging the forward to keep the ball away from a player who was not involved in the scheme. After Smith texted Etienne that the player need to “chill the f*** out”, he replied that they would attempt to prevent him from scoring. Following the game, Smith traveled to Chicago to deliver a $40,000 bribery payment to the DePaul players, prosecutors stated.

Undermining the integrity of sports

Beyond DePaul, Smith allegedly recruited players from more than a dozen Division I programs, mostly obscure mid-majors. In fact, a number of schools are located in the Gulf Coast region, including: Northwestern State, Nicholls State, Southern Mississippi, Abilene Christian and New Orleans. One commonality, according to prosecutors, surrounded an enticement where the bribe payments would meaningfully supplement or exceed the student-athletes’ legitimate opportunities for “Name-Image-Likeness” compensation. 

“Jalen Smith played a central role in this point-shaving scheme, which corrupted the integrity of NCAA games and the sport of basketball itself,” said David Metcalf, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “As his prosecution and sentence show, we will not permit the criminal corruption of athletic competition to go unanswered.”

Louis Lappen, another prosecutor, described the scheme as “far reaching”, adding that he has not seen another point-shaving case of its scale on US soil. In total, the bribery and point-shaving scheme involved more than 39 players on more than 17 different teams, who fixed and attempted to fix more than 29 NCAA games. The scheme also resulted in more than $3 million in fraudulent wagers placed on the games, and more than $1.1 million in financial losses to sportsbooks throughout the country.

“Those who exploit professional and collegiate athletes for personal gain will be held accountable,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, who serves as Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue those who seek to manipulate that trust for their own financial benefit and ensure they are held responsible for their actions.”

A pawn in a larger game?

Described as a selfless individual responsible for the training and development of local players for professional scouting combines, Smith is the first defendant to be formally sentenced in the case. Smith’s transgressions appear less serious than ones committed by the main ringleaders who were charged in multiple jurisdictions. At sentencing, Smith told the judge that he was used as a “pawn” in the operations.

Smith received numerous letters of support, attesting to his youth mentorship and community service through basketball, where he served as a referee and an AAU coach. One letter from Bryant Clifton, a teacher in Smith’s community, lauded him for teaching young athletes not only the fundamentals of the game, but also the importance of teamwork, discipline and sportsmanship. Another from Robin Dawkins, a longtime friend of Smith’s mother, noted how he mentored and tutored youth players, in many instances free of charge.

The court’s imposition of a sentence near the lower bound of guidelines is reflective of Smith’s “fulsome acceptance of responsibility and his sincere remorse,” said Cipparone, his attorney.

“Mr. Smith will rebuild his life back to the positive contributing member of society he can and has been otherwise, with his assurance to the court that he will prove by his post-sentencing actions that he has learned from this mistake,” he said.

Smith is scheduled to report to federal prison by 1 December. Hennen appeared on Wednesday in Philadelphia for a change of plea hearing, while Fairley awaits sentencing in the Brooklyn matter this February.