On March 5, 2024, in Buffalo, Chicago and Fort Wayne, Indiana, men’s college basketball players on three different teams were preparing to do the exact same thing: play badly in their games on purpose to help bettors win, federal prosecutors say.
In a 70-page indictment unsealed Thursday, federal prosecutors allege that a gambling ring bribed 39 NCAA basketball players on 17 Division I basketball teams to fix dozens of games over the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.
While it’s unclear how much was bet overall, the indictment shows the gambling ring wagered at least $3.6 million on the first-half and full-game spreads of college games. The two games that saw the most money wagered were $458,000 on Towson to cover the first-half spread against North Carolina A&T on Feb. 29, 2024, and $424,000 on Kent State to cover the first-half spread against Buffalo on Feb. 27, 2024. Both bets won.
Here’s a closer look at six games the feds say were fixed:
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Robert Morris vs. Northern Kentucky (Feb. 28, 2024)
The fixers allegedly recruited Robert Morris forward Markeese Hastings and two other Colonials players, with one of the fixers texting another, “Got the RMU boys ready, waiting on you.”
The sportsbooks had Northern Kentucky favored by 1.5 in the first half of the game at UPMC Events Center in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. The fixers bet at least $256,000 on Northern Kentucky to cover the first-half spread.
The players all underperformed, and the gambling ring cleaned up, prosecutors say. Robert Morris trailed 42-23 at halftime but closed the deficit in the second half to ultimately lose 70-60.
The next day, the fixers were arranging to meet Hastings near a hotel in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where Robert Morris was playing its next game, to deliver the payout. Hastings allegedly texted: “We might as well do the next one too … [this] was too easy.”
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Feds say Northern Kentucky-Robert Morris game in 2024 part of point-shaving scheme
According to the federal indictment, the fixers recruited forward Markeese Hastings and two other unnamed Robert Morris players to fix the first half of a game against Northern Kentucky on Feb. 28, 2024.
The next week, Robert Morris played Purdue-Fort Wayne, which was favored by 7 in the first half. The gambling ring bet $50,000 plus parlays on Purdue-Fort Wayne, which led 46-28 at half. Apparently, the players’ cut came in at more than expected, according to the indictment.
“Y’all gave me a extra band [$1,000],” Hastings allegedly told a fixer. “I [don’t] know if that was on purpose or not. Unless bro counted wrong lol but I doubt it.”
Nicholls State vs. McNeese State (Feb. 17, 2024)
In the game at Stopher Gymnasium in Thibodaux, Louisiana, McNeese State was favored by 12 points over Nicholls State.
According to the indictment, Nicholls State forwards Oumar Koureissi and Diante Smith agreed to underperform in the game. The betting ring wagered at least $100,000 on McNeese State at sportsbooks across the country and abroad, mostly on the full-game spread, the documents say.
Koureissi did not score in the game, and McNeese State won 74-47, easily covering the spread.
According to the indictment: “Shortly after this game, defendant Jalen Smith traveled to Louisiana to arrange for the delivery of approximately $32,000 in cash to defendant Oumar Koureissi and Diante Smith as bribe payments for their roles in fixing the game against McNeese State.
“In arranging for this delivery, defendant Smith texted with defendant Koureissi and Diante Smith, advising them that the ‘bread,’ or bribe payment, would be delivered by an individual driving a truck,” the indictment reads. Koureissi also said in texts and other communications that he would help Jalen Smith recruit other players for the scheme, according to the documents.
Georgetown vs. DePaul (Feb. 24, 2024)
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DePaul-Georgetown game in 2024 allegedly part of illegal betting scheme
Fixers allegedly agreed with several DePaul players – Jalen Terry, Da’Sean Nelson, Mac Etienne and a fourth unnamed player – to fix the first half of a Feb. 24, 2024, game against Georgetown.
In late February, fixers agreed with several DePaul players — Jalen Terry, Da’Sean Nelson, Micawber Etienne and a fourth unnamed player — to fix the first half of the upcoming Georgetown game so DePaul did not cover, according to the indictment. Georgetown was favored by 2.5 at sportsbooks across the country.
The gambling ring bet about $27,000 on the first-half result. Georgetown led 41-28 at halftime.
“Around halftime of this game, when it was clear that the point-shaving scheme was succeeding, defendant Jalen Smith texted Etienne about arranging to pay the bribe money and complimented defendants Terry and Nelson for underperforming as they had agreed: ‘l love Jalen terry he perfected his job . . . Sh-t Nelson snapped too,'” the indictment says.
In the second half, DePaul “played substantially better,” prosecutors said, and Georgetown ended up winning 77-76.
Terry, who did not score in the first half, notched 16 in the second half.
Soon after, prosecutors said, the fixers went to Chicago to deliver $40,000 in cash to the DePaul players, and Etienne texted one of the fixers, “[J]ust hit me we got another game this weekend.”
The players also allegedly underperformed in games against Butler and St. John’s the following week. All the bets, totaling nearly $200,000, paid off, and the players received tens of thousands, prosecutors said.
Terry and Nelson later continued the scheme after they transferred to Eastern Michigan in the 2024-25 season, according to the indictment. One of the fixers told Terry to recruit other teammates: “Need all yall like last year and it’s a lock money super duper good let’s work.”
Tulane vs. East Carolina (Feb. 18, 2024)
East Carolina was favored by 2.5 points over Tulane at Minges Coliseum in Greenville, North Carolina. Prosecutors say fixers had recruited Tulane forward Kevin Cross during a video call and offered him $30,000 to underperform.
According to prosecutors, the gambling ring bet at least $140,000 on East Carolina to cover the full-game spread.
On the day of the game, one of the defendants, Marves Fairley, texted an associate, “‘ln the car with the guys . . . Be ready to bet this college game that come on in two hrs. . Tulane/East Carolina,'” the indictment alleges. “Later in this text exchange, Fairley agreed that the game was ‘one of those 100%” guaranteed games and said, ‘I got total of 200k [$220,000]’ in wagers on the game.”
Cross scored four points in the game, well below his 17.5-point season average, and East Carolina won 81-67.
Soon after, the fixers “arranged to deliver approximately $30,000 in cash” to Cross.
The indictment says defendants attempted to use Cross to fix another game, Tulane’s March 2, 2024, game against Florida Atlantic, which was favored by 15 points but won by only six. Cross had 14 points and three rebounds in the loss.
The gambling ring lost about $200,000 on the Florida Atlantic game, prosecutors said.
Fordham vs. Duquesne (Feb. 23, 2024)
Jalen Smith, one of the alleged fixers who worked with local basketball players in North Carolina, recruited Fordham forward Elijah Gray through mutual connections in the basketball community in their home state, according to the indictment. Gray was offered $10,000 to $15,000 to underperform in the Duquesne game. During a video call, Gray agreed to also recruit a teammate, identified as “Person 4” in the scheme, prosecutors alleged.
In the game at Rose Hill Gymnasium in the Bronx, Duquesne was favored by 3.5 points. The gambling ring had bet about $195,000 on Duquesne to cover the spread.
Both Gray and the other player scored under their season averages, with Gray scoring three points, but Fordham won 79-67, meaning the bets lost.
Afterward, Smith texted with Gray and the teammate about the outcome. “Gray told defendant Smith, ‘I tried,’ and noted that the Duquesne players were ‘not hoopin,’ or played poorly, making it harder for Duquesne to cover the spread.”
Kennesaw State vs. Queens (March 1, 2024)
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Feds say Kennesaw State-Queens College game in 2024 part of point-shaving scheme
According to the federal indictment, Kennesaw State guard Simeon Cottle, forward Demond Robinson and a third player were bribed in a 2024 game against Queens, which was favored by 1.5 points in the first half and led 52-39 at halftime.
The fixers first recruited Kennesaw State star Simeon Cottle to the scheme in February 2024, and enlisted him to recruit teammate Demond Robinson and another unnamed player to join them, according to the indictment.
Queens was favored by 1.5 in the first half over Kennesaw State in the game at Curry Arena in Charlotte. Beforehand, the gamblers allegedly placed $20,000 on Queens to cover, prosecutors said.
“Queens ny first half,” one of the defendants allegedly texted a co-conspirator.
That day fixer Jalen Smith texted Cottle a picture of about $100,000 in cash that he was carrying on a plane, “acknowledging the large amount of money at stake in the point-shaving scheme and defendant Smith’s commitment to making bribe payments to the Kennesaw State players.”
Queens more than covered the spread, winning the first half 52-39. Kennesaw won the second half 43-39 but lost the game 91-82. Cottle, who had no points in the first half, scored 13 in the second.
The next day, according to the indictment, Cottle gave Smith an address for delivery of the bribes on campus and received $40,000 in cash for him and his two teammates.
That November, prosecutors say, Cottle told Smith he was trying to recruit other teammates, and Smith “offered to ‘flash 200k or sumn [sic] to help persuade.” Cottle allegedly responded that the other players were not interested.
