Federal prosecutors charge more than two dozen in alleged college basketball game-rigging scheme

Federal prosecutors on Thursday announced criminal charges against more than two dozen people in what they describe as an extensive international game-rigging operation involving college basketball.

(CNN)- Federal prosecutors on Thursday announced criminal charges against more than two dozen people in what they describe as an extensive international game-rigging operation involving college basketball.

“We allege an extensive international criminal conspiracy,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf.

According to the Justice Department, the scheme targeted NCAA Division I men’s basketball games, as well as games in the Chinese Basketball Association.

“A transnational criminal scheme to fix NCAA Division I men’s basketball games as well as professional Chinese Basketball Association games,” Metcalf said.

Prosecutors say the operation began in 2022 with game-fixing tied to the Chinese Basketball Association. The individuals involved allegedly placed bets on those games from the United States.

Court documents show the scheme expanded into Division I college basketball during the 2023–2024 season. Prosecutors say players across the country were recruited to manipulate games by underperforming in exchange for payments ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game.

The fixers then placed millions of dollars in wagers against the affected teams. Prosecutors say players who participated in the scheme were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Metcalf described the operation as “an extensive international criminal conspiracy of NCAA players, alumni, and professional bettors who fixed games across the country.”

“It imperils the integrity of sport itself,” Metcalf said. “And when that happens, the Department of Justice will step in to protect what is a sacred institution of American life.”

The investigation remains ongoing.