College basketball fixer jailed for 72 months

Jalen Smith has been sentences for his role in a match fixing scheme that targeted NCAA division 1 games.

US.- Jalen Smith, a 30-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina, has been sentenced to 72 months in prison for his role in a bribery and point-shaving scheme involving NCAA Division I men’s basketball games, as well as a separate firearms offence. US District Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro ordered three years of supervised release, approximately US$1.1m in restitution and the forfeiture of US$75,000.

Smith pleaded guilty in March to bribery in sporting contests, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Smith played a leading role in a match fixing operation said to have run from around September 2022 to February 2025, recruiting players, managing their participation and arranging payments. He and others approached athletes in person and through social media, text messages and phone calls, offering bribes typically ranging from US$10,000 to US$30,000 per game.

They generally targeted athletes on underdog teams and placed large bets through various sportsbooks against their teams. The players were instructed to underperform so their teams would fail to cover the betting spread. Investigators found that the operation involved more than 39 players across at least 17 NCAA Division I men’s basketball teams. Participants fixed or attempted to fix more than 29 games, generating over US$3m in fraudulent wagers and causing sportsbooks across the US to lose more than US$1.1m.

US Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania David Metcalf said Smith had played a central role in undermining the integrity of college basketball. He warned that authorities would pursue those who manipulate athletic competition for financial gain.

The investigation was led by the FBI Philadelphia, with assistance from FBI New York and the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Assistant US Attorneys Louis D. Lappen and Jerome M. Maiatico are prosecuting the case.