First guilty plea entered in massive NCAA and CBA basketball point-shaving scandal

Basketball recruiter Jalen Smith is the first to plead guilty in a 26-person federal case involving rigged NCAA and CBA games.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 10, 2026, 9:06 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Arkansas Online.

A Widespread Operation to Rig College Basketball

The federal investigation into the corruption of collegiate athletics reached a major turning point on Monday as Jalen Smith formally entered his plea. Smith, a resident of Charlotte, North Carolina, operated as a "fixer" within a 26-person conspiracy that targeted at least 17 different NCAA Division I men's basketball teams. According to federal prosecutors, the group successfully fixed or attempted to fix more than 29 games between September 2022 and February 2025, wagering millions of dollars through various sportsbooks.

Recruiting Athletes through Bribes and Influence

Prosecutors stated that Smith leveraged his background as a trainer for professional scouting combines to recruit players into the scheme. The fixers specifically targeted student-athletes at schools where bribe payments—typically ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game—often exceeded the players' legitimate earning potential from "Name, Image, and Likeness" (NIL) deals. In exchange for these cash payments, athletes agreed to purposefully underperform, such as missing shots or playing poor defense, to ensure their teams failed to cover the point spread.

Digital Evidence and Legal Consequences

The FBI’s investigation relied on intercepted communications that showed fixers managing the scheme in real-time. In one instance, Smith reportedly texted a player at halftime to complain that their performance was "costing money" because the team was supposed to be losing. Smith also pleaded guilty to an unrelated firearms charge after a 2025 search of his home uncovered a loaded handgun he was prohibited from owning due to a prior conviction. While wire fraud carries a maximum of 20 years in prison, Smith’s final sentence will be determined later this year as the cases against his 25 co-defendants continue.