Gambling Scheme Organizer Jalen Smith Sentenced to Six Years
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
Jalen Smith, a key organizer in a college basketball gambling and game-fixing scheme, was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to pay $1.1 million in restitution. The scheme, which began in China and moved to college basketball, involved players intentionally underperforming for betting purposes. Antonio Blakeney, a player for Hapoel Tel Aviv, is accused of participating in the scheme. Professional gambler Shane Hennigan has pleaded guilty to multiple charges and faces up to 125 years in prison.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Jalen Smith sentenced to six years in prison for role in gambling and game-fixing scheme.
- Smith must also pay $1.1 million in restitution and a $75,000 forfeiture.
- Antonio Blakeney, Hapoel Tel Aviv player, accused of fixing games in China and recruiting players.
- Shane Hennigan, a professional gambler, pleaded guilty to multiple charges and faces up to 125 years.
- The scheme involved over 39 college players and more than 29 manipulated games.
- Players were paid $10,000 to $30,000 per game to underperform.
Jalen Smith, a key organizer in a college basketball gambling and game-fixing scheme, has been sentenced to six years in prison. Smith, 30, pleaded guilty on October 13 in a Philadelphia federal court to bribery in sporting contests, conspiracy to commit fraud, and wire fraud. The sentence also includes three years of supervised release, approximately $1.1 million in restitution, and a $75,000 forfeiture. The conviction also involved illegal possession of a firearm. Smith was instrumental in identifying, recruiting, and paying players involved in the scheme, which began in the Chinese basketball league during the 2022-2023 season.
According to prosecutors, Antonio Blakeney, a player for Hapoel Tel Aviv, is accused of intentionally playing poorly in China to fix games for gambling purposes. Blakeney also allegedly recruited other players from his team. At the end of that season, nearly $200,000 in cash, representing bribe payments and proceeds, was found in a storage unit linked to him. The scheme later shifted to college basketball, where players were offered $10,000 to $30,000 per game to underperform, specifically by failing to meet betting point spreads in the first half or the entire game.
Shane Hennigan, 41, a professional gambler known as "Sugar Shane," pleaded guilty on October 14 to bribery and conspiracy charges related to the Chinese and college basketball cases. In a separate New York case, he admitted to conspiracy and money laundering charges involving insider information on NBA games used for betting. Prosecutors allege that information was passed from players and coaches to a network of gamblers who concealed its origin from betting companies. Hennigan faces a maximum combined sentence of 125 years in prison, with sentencing pending.
The college basketball aspect of the investigation involved over 39 players from more than 17 teams, who allegedly manipulated or attempted to manipulate over 29 games. Smith's role included sending in-game messages to a player to limit their performance. Blakeney and Smith are also implicated in recruiting Mikaober Etienne-de-Fou, who allegedly recruited three teammates.
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