Federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania have now charged 26 people in what authorities describe as a wide-ranging point-shaving operation that stretched from professional basketball in China into NCAA Division I programs across the United States. The indictment, unsealed Thursday in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, outlines an alleged gambling scheme involving dozens of players, multiple seasons, and coordinated betting activity through legalized sportsbooks.

According to prosecutors, the scheme began during the 2022–23 season in the Chinese Basketball Association before expanding into college basketball. Investigators allege that fixers recruited players, offered cash payments, and directed them to intentionally underperform so that wagers placed on point spreads would succeed. Federal filings state that at least 39 players from 17 schools were involved, with games manipulated through February 2025.

Alleged Fixing Spanned International and NCAA Games

The indictment says the operation initially focused on the Chinese Basketball Association, where players were allegedly paid to affect betting outcomes by limiting scoring or other on-court production. According to Yahoo Sports, prosecutors wrote that “a group of individuals worked together to recruit and bribe players to help influence or ‘fix’ Chinese Basketball Association men’s basketball games through ‘point shaving’ during the 2022-23 CBA season. The fixers bribed CBA players to underperform and help ensure their team failed to cover the spread in certain games and then, through various sportsbooks, arranged for large wagers to be placed on those games against that team.”

Former NBA guard Antonio Blakeney is among those named. He played two seasons with the Chicago Bulls from 2017 to 2019 and later competed overseas, including in China. In one example cited by prosecutors, Blakeney scored 11 points in a lopsided win despite averaging more than 30 points per game that season. The indictment alleges that $198,000 was wagered on the opposing team to cover the spread. In another incident, Blakeney allegedly helped recruit a teammate for $20,000 in a game he did not play.

After that period, prosecutors say the same group shifted its focus to college basketball during the 2023–24 and 2024–25 seasons. The alleged activity targeted first-half betting lines, particularly in mid- to low-tier Division I matchups. Authorities claim fixers communicated directly with players, including FaceTime calls, and showed them cash intended as payment.

College Programs and Players Named

Games cited in the indictment involved schools such as DePaul, Georgetown, Tulane, Nicholls State, St. Louis, Buffalo, Kennesaw State, and others. Prosecutors allege that bribes typically ranged from $10,000 to $30,000 per game, with some teams approached through multiple players to increase the chance of a desired outcome.

Four players named in the case — Simeon Cottle of Kennesaw State, Carlos Hart of Eastern Michigan, Oumar Koureissi, and Camian Shell — have appeared in games within the past week. Schools have since taken action. Eastern Michigan announced that Hart was suspended from all team activities, while Kennesaw State said Cottle was suspended indefinitely. Koureissi has been removed from his team, according to reporting cited in the indictment materials.

Cottle, the Conference USA preseason player of the year, currently averages 20.2 points per game. Prosecutors allege that he and a teammate received $40,000 for their roles in a March 1, 2024, game against Queens University, where Cottle went scoreless in the first half as his team trailed at halftime.

Charges and NCAA Response

The defendants face charges including bribery in sporting contests and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Prosecutors say sportsbooks and bettors were deceived because they did not know games were being manipulated. Bribery charges carry potential sentences of up to five years, while wire fraud counts can result in sentences of up to 20 years.

Five defendants are described as fixers, including Shane Hennen and Marves Fairley, who were also charged in a separate federal case involving NBA gambling activity. Fairley’s attorney, Eric Siegle, said he was reviewing the indictment and declined further comment.

The NCAA said the allegations overlap with investigations already underway. President Charlie Baker said, “Protecting competition integrity is of the utmost importance for the NCAA. We are thankful for law enforcement agencies working to detect and combat integrity issues and match manipulation in college sports.”

He added, “The pattern of college basketball game integrity conduct revealed by law enforcement today is not entirely new information to the NCAA. Through helpful collaboration and with industry regulators, we have finished or have open investigations into almost all of the teams in today’s indictment.”

Prosecutors stated that fixers targeted players whose bribe payments would exceed typical name, image, and likeness opportunities, focusing on underdogs where point spreads could be influenced with limited on-court actions.