Federal prosecutors in Philadelphia unsealed a sweeping 70-page indictment on Thursday, charging 26 individuals in connection with a massive point-shaving scheme that allegedly compromised the integrity of NCAA Division I men’s basketball and the Chinese Basketball Association. The FBI-led investigation describes an international criminal conspiracy involving players, alumni, and professional bettors who manipulated the outcomes of at least 29 games between September 2022 and February 2025.

David Metcalf, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, announced the charges during a news conference, stating that the scheme "enveloped the world of college basketball." According to the indictment, a group of "fixers" targeted student-athletes at schools where bribe payments—typically ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game—would significantly exceed or supplement the players' legitimate earnings from Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities.

Among those charged is Antonio Blakeney, a former NBA player and college All-American. Prosecutors allege that Blakeney was recruited into the scheme during the 2022-2023 season while playing for the Jiangsu Dragons in China. After successfully fixing games in the Chinese Basketball Association, Blakeney and high-stakes gamblers Marves Fairley and Shane Hennen allegedly turned their attention to the NCAA. The group reportedly recruited 39 players across 17 different programs to intentionally underperform, ensuring their teams would not cover the point spread.

The schools named in the investigation include several HBCUs and mid-major programs, such as Alabama State, North Carolina A&T, Coppin State, and Nicholls State. Other institutions mentioned in the indictment include DePaul, Georgetown, Tulane, and Saint Louis. In one specific instance, Kevin Cross, a former forward at Tulane, was accused of accepting a $30,000 bribe to ensure his team did not cover the spread in a 2024 matchup against East Carolina.

The indictment also names several current players who were active as recently as this week. Simeon Cottle of Kennesaw State and Camian Shell of North Carolina A&T are among those facing federal charges. Prosecutors allege the fixers used social media and encrypted text messages to coordinate the bribes, with Hennen once famously texting a co-conspirator that the only certainties in life were "death, taxes and Chinese basketball."

Metcalf emphasized that the victims of the scheme include not only the sportsbooks,but also the teammates and fans who believed the games were being decided by honest competition. The defendants face multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy as the Department of Justice continues its crackdown on corruption within the rapidly expanding sports gambling market.