21 College Athletes Arrested By FBI For Point Shaving
by Alex Lloyd Gross
Twenty-one individuals who played basketball for colleges in the NCAA have been arrested for point shaving to help an illegal betting ring reap huge profits, U.S. Attorney David Metcalf said today.
For some betting options, people can wager on the score of a game. There is a plus or minus number attached to the score, which is referred to as “the spread.”
Metcalf alleges that these individuals were paid large sums of money to under perform—missing shots, missing rebounds, committing fouls, and making turnovers. There are many ways someone can throw a game, and Metcalf said these players did them all.
The scheme started in the Chinese Basketball League and progressed into the United States with the NCAA. Authorities said it lasted from September 2022 through February 2025. Antonio Blakeney, a player for the Jiangsu Dragons of the CBA, was recruited by Marves Fairley and Shane Hennen to participate in the point-shaving scheme, according to authorities.
Most of the college athletes involved were given full scholarships to play basketball for their schools. The colleges put their trust in these athletes. Many came from nothing and were given the opportunity of a lifetime—an opportunity not available to most people—yet they bit the proverbial hand that fed them by intentionally performing poorly.
In the indictment, several examples were laid out. One occurred on or about March 6, 2023, when the Guangdong Southern Tigers played against the Jiangsu Dragons in a CBA men’s basketball game in China. Guangdong was favored to win the game by approximately 11.5 points at sportsbooks throughout the United States and elsewhere. Before the game, fixers, including defendants Marves Fairley and Shane Hennen, along with others working at their direction, placed large wagers with numerous sportsbooks, including at least $198,300 with BetRivers Sportsbook at Rivers Casino in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Guangdong to cover the full-game spread. Fairley and Hennen engaged in numerous text message communications directing wagers on this game.
Another example is below.
On or about March 6, 2023, in the CBA men’s basketball game between Guangdong and Jiangsu, Antonio Blakeney under performed and influenced the game as he and the fixers had agreed. Blakeney, who averaged more than 32 points per game during the 2022–2023 season, scored just 11 points. Guangdong defeated Jiangsu 127–96, covered the spread, and the fixers won most of their bets.
Alex Lloyd Gross Photo- Delaware Valley News.com US Attorney David Metcalf speaks to reporters.
Those charged include the following.
JALEN SMITH
aka “J” N/A; alleged fixer Charlotte,
North Carolina 30
■ bribery in sporting contests
■ conspiracy to commit wire fraud
■ wire fraud
MARVES FAIRLEY
aka “Vez,” “Vezino,”
“Vezino Locks”
N/A; alleged fixer Carson,
Mississippi 40
■ bribery in sporting contests
■ conspiracy to commit wire fraud
■ wire fraud (3 counts)
SHANE HENNEN
aka “Sugar Shane” N/A; alleged fixer Las Vegas, Nev.;
Philadelphia, Pa. 40
■ bribery in sporting contests
■ conspiracy to commit wire fraud
■ wire fraud (3 counts)
RODERICK WINKLER
aka “Big Rod” N/A; alleged fixer Little Rock,
Arkansas 31
■ bribery in sporting contests
■ conspiracy to commit wire fraud
■ wire fraud
ALBERTO LAUREANO
aka “Ferg” N/A; alleged fixer Bronx,
New York 24
■ bribery in sporting contests
■ conspiracy to commit wire fraud
■ wire fraud
ANTONIO BLAKENEY Alleged fixer/player
Jiangsu Dragons (2023)
Kissimmee,
Florida 29 ■ conspiracy to commit wire fraud
ISAIAH ADAMS SUNY Buffalo (2/24/24) Tampa,
Florida 24 ■ bribery in sporting contests
ARLANDO ARNOLD
aka “Mo” Southern Mississippi (2/28/24)
Picayune,
Mississippi 24 ■ bribery in sporting contests
■ conspiracy to commit wire fraud
SIMEON COTTLE Kennesaw State (3/1/24)
Fairburn,
Georgia 21 ■ bribery in sporting contests
■ conspiracy to commit wire fraud
KEVIN CROSS Tulane (2/18/24)
Edinburg,
Texas 25 ■ bribery in sporting contests
■ conspiracy to commit wire fraud
MICAWBER ETIENNE
aka “Mac” DePaul (2/24/24)
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania 24 ■ bribery in sporting contests
BRADLEY EZEWIRO Saint Louis (2/20/24)
Los Angeles,
California 23 ■ bribery in sporting contests
■ conspiracy to commit wire fraud
SHAWN FULCHER SUNY Buffalo (2/24/24)
Alabama State (12/5/24)
Brooklyn,
New York 22 ■ bribery in sporting contests
■ conspiracy to commit wire fraud
ELIJAH GRAY Fordham (2/23/24)
Charlotte,
North Carolina 22 ■ bribery in sporting contests
CARLOS HART New Orleans (3/11/24)
Miami,
Florida 23 ■ bribery in sporting contests
■ conspiracy to commit wire fraud
MARKESE HASTINGS Robert Morris (2/28/24)
Grand Rapids,
Michigan 25 ■ bribery in sporting contests
■ conspiracy to commit wire fraud
COREY HINES
aka “C.J.”
Alabama State (12/5/24) Atlanta,
Georgia 23 ■ bribery in sporting contests
CEDQUAVIOUS HUNTER
aka “Dae Dae” New Orleans (12/30/24)
Como,
Mississippi 22 ■ bribery in sporting contests
■ conspiracy to commit wire fraud
OUMAR KOUREISSI Nicholls State (2/17/24) New York,
New York 24 ■ bribery in sporting contests
■ conspiracy to commit wire fraud
DA’SEAN NELSON DePaul (2/24/24)
Eastern Michigan (11/21/24)
Chicago,
Illinois 23 ■ bribery in sporting contests
■ conspiracy to commit wire fraud
DEMOND ROBINSON Kennesaw State (3/1/24)
Montgomery,
Alabama 25 ■ bribery in sporting contests
■ conspiracy to commit wire fraud
CAMIAN SHELL North Carolina A&T (2/29/24)
Winston-Salem,
North Carolina 23 ■ bribery in sporting contests
■ conspiracy to commit wire fraud
DYQUAVION SHORT
aka “Jah” New Orleans (12/30/24)
Greenville,
North Carolina 20 ■ bribery in sporting contests
■ conspiracy to commit wire fraud
AIRION SIMMONS Abilene Christian (3/19/24) Little Rock,
Arkansas 25 ■ bribery in sporting contests
■ conspiracy to commit wire fraud
DIANTE SMITH Nicholls State (2/17/24) Dallas,
Texas 25 ■ bribery in sporting contests
JALEN TERRY DePaul (2/24/24)
Eastern Michigan (11/21/24)
Ypsilanti,
Michigan 24 ■ bribery in sporting contests