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On March 5, 2024, in Buffalo, Chicago and Fort Wayne, Indiana, men’s college basketball players on three different teams were preparing to do exactly the same thing: purposefully screw up their games to help the bettors win, state prosecutors said.<\/p>\n
In a 70-page indictment unsealed Thursday, federal prosecutors said the gambling ring bribed 39 NCAA basketball players from Division I basketball teams to fix dozens of games during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.<\/p>\n
While it is not clear how much was wagered in total, the indictment indicates that the gambling ring wagered at least $3.6 million on the first half and full-game spread of college sports. The two games that saw the most money bet was $458,000 for Towson to cover the first half spread against North Carolina A&T on Feb. 29, 2024, and $424,000 to Kent State to cover the first-half spread against Buffalo on Feb. 27, 2024. Both bets won.<\/p>\n
Here’s a closer look at the six games they say are fixed:<\/p>\n\nEditor’s Choice<\/h2>\n 2 Related<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n
Robert Morris vs. Northern Kentucky (Feb. 28, 2024)<\/h2>\n The fixers allegedly recruited Robert Morris forward Markeese Hastings and two other Colonials players, with one fixer writing to the other, “I’ve got the RMU guys ready, they’re waiting for you.”<\/p>\n
The sportsbooks had Northern Kentucky favored by 1.5 in the first half of the game at the UPMC Events Center in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. Fixers bet at least $256,000 on Northern Kentucky to cover the first half spread.<\/p>\n
All of the players fouled up, and the gambling ring was cleaned up, prosecutors said. Robert Morris trailed 42-23 at halftime but rallied in the second half to lose 70-60.<\/p>\n
The next day, the fixers planned to meet Hastings near a hotel in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where Robert Morris was playing his next game, to deliver the payment. Hastings is said to have sent a message saying: “We may do the following… [this] it was very easy.”<\/p>\n
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The Feds say the Northern Kentucky-Robert Morris matchup in 2024 is part of a point-shaving program<\/p>\n
According to the federal indictment, the fixers hired forward Markeese Hastings and two other undisclosed Robert Morris players to fix the first half of a game against Northern Kentucky on February 28, 2024.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The following week, Robert Morris played Purdue-Fort Wayne, which was favored by 7 in the first half. The gambling ring bet $50,000 and parlays on Purdue-Fort Wayne, which led 46-28 at the half. It appears that the player cuts went further than expected, according to the lawsuit.<\/p>\n
\u201cGive me an extra band [$1,000],” Hastings is said to have told the fixer. “I [don’t] know whether that was intentional or not. Unless bro you’re counting wrong lol but I doubt it.”<\/p>\n
Nicholls State vs. McNeese State (Feb. 17, 2024)<\/h2>\n In a game at Stopher Gymnasium in Thibodaux, Louisiana, McNeese State was outscored by 12 points over Nicholls State.<\/p>\n
According to the lawsuit, Nicholls State forward Oumar Koureissi and Diante Smith pleaded guilty to game misconduct. The betting ring bet at least $100,000 on McNeese State at sportsbooks around the country and abroad, mostly on live broadcasts, documents said.<\/p>\n
Koureissi did not score in the game, and McNeese State won 74-47, easily covering the spread.<\/p>\n
According to the lawsuit: “Soon after this game, defendant Jalen Smith traveled to Louisiana to arrange for the delivery of approximately $32,000 to defendants Oumar Koureissi and Diante Smith as bribe payments for their role in fixing the game against McNeese State.”<\/p>\n
“In the process of delivering this, defendant Smith texted defendants Koureissi and Diante Smith, telling them that the ‘bread,’ or bribe payment, would be delivered by a truck driver,” the lawsuit continued. Koureissi also said in texts and other communications that he would help Jalen Smith recruit other players in the scheme, according to the documents.<\/p>\n
Georgetown vs. DePaul (Feb. 24, 2024)<\/h2>\n\n
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The 2024 DePaul-Georgetown game was allegedly part of an illegal betting scheme<\/p>\n
The fixers reportedly agreed with several DePaul players \u2014 Jalen Terry, Da’Sean Nelson, Mac Etienne and an unnamed fourth player \u2014 to fix the first half of the Feb. 24, 2024, against Georgetown.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
In late February, the referees agreed with several DePaul players — Jalen Terry, Da’Sean Nelson, Micawber Etienne and an unnamed fourth player — to fix the first half of Georgetown’s next game so that DePaul would not be covered, according to the lawsuit. Georgetown was a 2.5 favorite in sports books across the country.<\/p>\n
The gambling ring bet about $27,000 on the first half result. Georgetown led 41-28 at halftime.<\/p>\n
“During halftime of the game, when it was clear that the point-shaving plan was successful, defendant Jalen Smith texted Etienne about planning to pay the bribe and praised defendants Terry and Nelson for not performing as well as they had agreed: ‘I love Jalen terry he did his job…<\/p>\n
In the second half, DePaul “played much better,” prosecutors said, and Georgetown ended up winning 77-76.<\/p>\n
Terry, who was scoreless in the first half, scored 16 in the second half.<\/p>\n
Soon after, prosecutors said, the fixers went to Chicago to deliver $40,000 to the DePaul players, and Etienne sent one of the fixers, “[J]call me and let’s find another game this weekend.”<\/p>\n
These players allegedly did not play well in the games against Butler and St. John the following week. All bets, totaling about $200,000, paid off, and the players received tens of thousands, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n
Terry and Nelson later continued with the program after transferring to Eastern Michigan for the 2024-25 season, according to the lawsuit. One of the repairmen told Terry to recruit other colleagues: “I need everything like last year and the lock money is very good, let’s work.”<\/p>\n
Tulane vs. East Carolina (Feb. 18, 2024)<\/h2>\n East Carolina was favored by 2.5 points over Tulane at Minges Coliseum in Greenville, North Carolina. Prosecutors say the fixers recruited Tulane forward Kevin Cross during the video call and offered him $30,000 to do nothing.<\/p>\n
According to prosecutors, the gambling ring bet at least $140,000 in East Carolina to cover the full game spread.<\/p>\n
On the day of the game, one of the defendants, Marves Fairley, texted a teammate, “‘ln the car with the guys … Get ready to bet this college game coming up in two hours. . Tulane\/East Carolina,'” the lawsuit alleges. “Later in this text exchange, Fairley admitted that the game was ‘one of those 100%’ guaranteed games and said, ‘I got a total of 200k [$220,000]’ to the players playing the game.”<\/p>\n
Cross scored four points in the game, below his season average of 17.5 points, and East Carolina won 81-67.<\/p>\n
Soon after, the fixers “plan to bring in about $30,000” to Cross.<\/p>\n
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants tried to use Cross to fix another game, Tulane’s March 2, 2024, game against Florida Atlantic, which was awarded 15 points but only won by six. Cross had 14 points and three rebounds in the loss.<\/p>\n
The gambling ring lost nearly $200,000 in Florida Atlantic gambling, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n
Fordham vs. Duquesne (Feb. 23, 2024)<\/h2>\n Jalen Smith, one of North Carolina’s alleged basketball fixers, recruited Fordham forward Elijah Gray through connections to the basketball community in his home state, according to the lawsuit. Gray was offered $10,000 to $15,000 to not perform well in the Duquesne game. During the video call, Gray admitted to soliciting an associate, identified as “Person 4” in the program, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n
In the game at Rose Hill Gymnasium in the Bronx, Duquesne was honored with 3.5 points. The gambling ring had bet about $195,000 on Duquesne to cover the spread.<\/p>\n
Both Gray and another player scored their season low, with Gray scoring three points, but Fordham won 79-67, meaning the bet was lost.<\/p>\n
After that, Smith texted Gray and his colleagues about the result. “Grey told defendant Smith, ‘I tried,’ and noted that the Duquesne players were ‘not playing well,’ making it difficult for Duquesne to cover the spread.”<\/p>\n
Kennesaw State vs. Queens (March 1, 2024)<\/h2>\n\n
play<\/span>\n0:30<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Feds say Kennesaw State-Queens College game in 2024 is part of point-shaving plan<\/p>\n
According to the federal indictment, Kennesaw County guard Simeon Cottle, forward Demond Robinson and a third baseman were bribed for a 2024 game against Queens, which was favored by 1.5 points in the first half and led 52-39 at halftime.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The fixers first recruited Kennesaw State star Simeon Cottle into the scheme in February 2024, and then recruited teammate Demond Robinson and another unnamed player to join them, according to the lawsuit.<\/p>\n
Queens was favored by 1.5 in the first half over Kennesaw State in a game at Curry Arena in Charlotte. Before that, the gamblers allegedly put $20,000 in Queens to collect, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n
“Queens ny first half,” one of the defendants allegedly sent a message to his colleagues.<\/p>\n
That day fixer Jalen Smith texted Cottle a photo of the approximately $100,000 cash he was carrying on the plane, “acknowledging the large amount of money at stake in the point-shaving scheme and defendant Smith’s commitment to making bribe payments to Kennesaw State players.”<\/p>\n
Queens more than covered the spread, winning the first half 52-39. Kennesaw won the second half 43-39 but lost 91-82. Cottle, who was scoreless in the first half, scored 13 in the second.<\/p>\n
The next day, according to the indictment, Cottle gave Smith an address to deliver bribes to the school and received $40,000 in cash for him and two associates.<\/p>\n
In November, prosecutors said, Cottle told Smith that he was trying to recruit other associates, and Smith “asked to ‘light up 200k or sumn. [sic] to help persuasion.” Cottle is said to have replied that the other players didn’t care.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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