Twenty charged in widespread college basketball gambling scandal

What started as whispers around betting lines has turned into something far more serious.

Federal prosecutors on Thursday unsealed an indictment charging 20 men in a sweeping point-shaving scheme that allegedly compromised 29 college basketball games across 17 Division I programs, ensnaring 39 players along the way.

According to authorities in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, this wasn’t a one-off. It was systematic.

Fifteen of the defendants played college basketball during the 2023-24 and/or 2024-25 seasons, per the indictment. Two of the players named — Cedquavious Hunter and Dyquavian Short — were already sanctioned by the NCAA in November for fixing games involving New Orleans.

Four others charged have appeared in games within the past week, though prosecutors say none of the allegations tied to those players involve this season.

“This was a massive scheme that enveloped the world of college basketball,” U.S. Attorney David Metcalf said. “This was a significant and rampant corruption of college athletics.”

The charges include bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy. Bribery counts carry a maximum sentence of five years, while wire fraud charges can bring up to 20.

The indictment describes a scheme that dates back to September 2022, initially focused on fixing games in the Chinese Basketball Association before pivoting to U.S. college basketball. Players were allegedly paid between $10,000 and $30,000 to manipulate outcomes for betting purposes, defrauding sportsbooks and bettors alike.

Two defendants named were previously charged in a separate federal gambling case tied to the NBA. Former NBA player Antonio Blakeney was named but not charged in this indictment.

In response, NCAA president Charlie Baker said the NCAA has opened betting-integrity investigations into roughly 40 players from 20 schools over the past year, calling the conduct troubling but not entirely new.