Match fixer Jalen Smith gets 72 months in US college basketball point-shaving case

Jalen Smith, an admitted match fixer, was sentenced on Tuesday in a Philadelphia federal courtroom for his role in a point-shaving scheme in NCAA Division I college basketball. US District Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro imposed a 72-month prison term and ordered restitution of approximately $1.1 million. The sentence sits at the low end of the guideline range of 70 to 87 months.

Smith, 30, told the court: "My decisions have consequences and I accept all of them." Prosecutors charged him in January over the bribery and point-shaving conspiracy. The case has ensnared at least 20 players from more than a dozen programs, and the fixed games allegedly involved teams facing coaches Rick Pitino and Dusty May.

According to prosecutors, participating players typically received payments of $10,000 to $30,000 from a syndicate. Smith's attorney, Rocco Cipparone, said his client was not involved in an alleged Chinese Basketball Association scheme that predated the college operation. Another person named in the indictment, former NBA player Antonio Blakeney, allegedly tipped co-conspirators in 2023 that he and a teammate would miss a CBA game. The syndicate then reportedly placed a six-figure wager, and the team lost 121-80. Blakeney now plays in Israel and has not been extradited to the US.

Court records say the syndicate placed heavy wagers at legal US sportsbooks, including at BetRivers Philadelphia. In one instance, co-defendants allegedly bet $198,300 on a single game there. In the college portion of the scheme, prosecutors say DePaul players underperformed over a three-week span in early 2024. Before a 5 March game against St. John's, associates of co-defendants Shane Hennen and Marves Fairley allegedly wagered $52,395 on St. John's to cover the first-half spread. St. John's led 54-28 at halftime and won 104-77. Smith allegedly delivered a $40,000 payment to the DePaul players afterwards.

The sentencing marks the start of a series of gambling-related court proceedings across the country. By the end of March, former professional athletes, bookmakers and poker players are due to face match-fixing charges, as leagues, regulators and legislators look for ways to protect sports integrity.