Federal prosecutors have unsealed a sweeping indictment against 26 individuals for their alleged involvement in an elaborate transnational conspiracy to manipulate basketball games across both US collegiate and Chinese professional leagues. The charges, filed in a Philadelphia court, detail a sophisticated operation that corrupted nearly 30 contests through bribery and coordinated betting schemes.
According to the indictment, the criminal network originated in China around September 2022 before expanding its operations to target NCAA Division I men’s basketball in the United States. The conspiracy allegedly involved paying players substantial sums—reportedly up to $30,000 per game—to deliberately underperform, enabling co-conspirators to place massive wagers on predetermined outcomes.
US Attorney David Metcalf characterized the operation as poisoning ‘the American spirit of competition for monetary gain,’ describing it as a massive scheme that ‘enveloped the world of college basketball.’ The indictment reveals that former NBA Chicago Bulls player Antonio Blakeney, while not charged in this particular case, was allegedly recruited to influence game outcomes during his tenure with China’s Jiangsu Dragons in the Chinese Basketball Association. Prosecutors claim conspirators left approximately $200,000 in cash at Blakeney’s Florida storage unit following the 2022-23 CBA season.
The defendants include more than a dozen former college basketball players from the past three years, along with professional bettors and alumni connected to the scheme. Those convicted on bribery charges could face imprisonment of up to five years.
This case emerges against the backdrop of rapidly expanding legal sports betting in the United States since the 2018 Supreme Court decision overturned federal restrictions. The NBA has acknowledged reviewing its policies to educate players about gambling’s ‘dire risks’ amid growing concerns about integrity in sports.