Man pleads guilty in massive NCAA basketball betting and point-shaving scheme

One of the alleged fixers in a wide-ranging betting scheme tied to rigged NCAA basketball games has pleaded guilty.

Jalen Smith entered the plea Monday in federal court in Philadelphia, admitting to wire fraud and bribery charges tied to a scheme prosecutors say generated millions of dollars through manipulated college basketball games.

Smith is the first of 26 people charged in the case to formally plead guilty.

The case comes just days before the start of March Madness, when billions of dollars will be wagered legally and illegally on the NCAA tournament.

According to prosecutors, Smith used his connections in the basketball world to recruit players into the scheme. The Charlotte, North Carolina native trained and developed local prospects for professional scouting combines and leveraged those relationships once the operation expanded to college basketball.

Federal authorities say the scheme ran during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. Fixers allegedly offered players cash payments to intentionally underperform in games. The group would then place large wagers against those players’ teams.

Smith sometimes traveled to meet players in person to deliver payments. In one instance, prosecutors say he went to Louisiana to arrange roughly $32,000 in cash for two players involved in the scheme.

The broader investigation is significant. Authorities say more than 39 players across at least 17 NCAA Division I programs were involved in fixing or attempting to fix over 29 games. Players were typically paid between $10,000 and $30,000 per game.

Prosecutors also said the scheme began overseas in 2023 with games in the Chinese Basketball Association before expanding to the college ranks.

Smith also pleaded guilty to a weapons charge after FBI agents discovered a loaded handgun during a search of his North Carolina home last year. He was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous drug conviction.

Federal officials say more than 40 schools were targeted as part of the scheme, including Tulane and DePaul.