NCAA basketball players and gambling fixers are charged for allegedly rigging games

1 month ago 1

By MARC LEVY and TASSANEE VEJPONGSA, Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — An investigation into a sprawling betting scheme to rig NCAA and Chinese Basketball Association games ensnared 26 people, including more than a dozen college basketball players who tried to fix games as recently as last season, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

The scheme generally revolved around fixers recruiting players with the promise of a big payment in exchange for purposefully underperforming during a game, prosecutors said. The fixers would then place big bets against the players’ teams in those games, defrauding sportsbooks and other bettors, authorities said.

Calling it an “international criminal conspiracy,” U.S. Attorney David Metcalf told reporters in Philadelphia that this case represents a “significant corruption of the integrity of sports.” The indictment suggests that many others — including unnamed players — had a role in the scheme but weren’t charged, and Metcalf said the investigation was continuing.

The varying charges against the 26 defendants, filed in federal court in Philadelphia, include bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy.