Jalen Smith, a Leader of Bribery and Point-Shaving Scheme to Fix NCAA Men’s Basketball Games, Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

PHILADELPHIA - United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jalen Smith, 30, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced today to 72 months in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution of approximately $1.1 million, and forfeiture of $75,000 by United States District Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro, for his role in a bribery and point-shaving scheme to fix National Collegiate Athletic Association ("NCAA") Division I men's basketball games, as well as a firearms offense.

The defendant was charged by indictment in January of this year in connection with the bribery and point-shaving scheme. He was subsequently charged by information with possession of a firearm by a felon, arising from a 2025 search of Smith's Charlotte residence, in which a loaded semi-automatic pistol was recovered.

In March, Smith pleaded guilty to one count each of bribery in sporting contests, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and possession of a firearm by a felon.

"Jalen Smith played a central role in this point-shaving scheme, which corrupted the integrity of NCAA games and the sport of basketball itself," said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. "As his prosecution and sentence show, we will not permit the criminal corruption of athletic competition to go unanswered. Those engaged in such behavior may profit in the short term, but they'll lose much more when our team takes them to court."

"Today's sentencing sends a clear message: Those who exploit professional and collegiate athletes for personal gain will be held accountable," said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. "This conduct does more than harm individual athletes. It undermines the integrity of sports and the trust placed in fair competition. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue those who seek to manipulate that trust for their own financial benefit and ensure they are held responsible for their actions."

As detailed in court filings, the overall scheme to influence or fix CBA and NCAA men's basketball games lasted from approximately September 2022 to February 2025. After co-schemers profited on fixed CBA games, they turned their attention to influencing NCAA men's basketball games.

Jalen Smith was a "fixer" in the scheme, working together with others to recruit and bribe NCAA men's basketball players to underperform and help ensure their team failed to cover the spread in games during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 NCAA men's basketball seasons.

Then, through various sportsbooks, Smith helped to arrange for large wagers to be placed on those games, betting against the team whose player or players they had bribed to engage in this point-shaving scheme. Smith had a leadership role in the scheme, particularly in recruiting, managing, and paying players for their roles in the scheme.

Smith and other fixers approached and communicated with the players, in person and through social media, text message communications, and cellular telephone calls, offering the players bribe payments, usually ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game.

Smith and other fixers specifically targeted college players for whom the bribe payments would meaningfully supplement, or exceed, the student-athletes' legitimate opportunities for "Name-Image-Likeness" compensation. The fixers also generally targeted in their scheme players on teams that were underdogs in games and sought to have them fail to cover the spreads in those games. Many of these players accepted the offers and agreed to help fix specific games so that the fixers would win their wagers.

In total, the bribery and point-shaving scheme involved more than 39 players on over 17 different NCAA Division I men's basketball teams, who fixed and attempted to fix more than 29 NCAA games. The scheme also resulted in more than $3 million in fraudulent wagers placed on these games, and more than $1.1 million in financial losses to sportsbooks throughout the country.

This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia, with valuable assistance from FBI New York and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Louis D. Lappen and Jerome M. Maiatico.