Federal prosecutors indicted 20 people on charges related to fixing college basketball games in the U.S. and professional basketball matches in China.
Court papers unsealed Thursday revealed charges of bribery, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aiding and abetting.
Key Takeaways
- One current player who was indicted was the preseason CUSA Player of the Year.
- Bettors enlisted a former NBA player to recruit players for their ring.
- NCAA players made $10,000-$30,000 per fixed game.
The illegal gambling ring allegedly targeted players on smaller college basketball teams.
Former NCAA student-athletes named by the authorities include the following players, who are listed with their most recent teams and career statistics.
Alberto Laureano (Porterville): 10.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 0.9 APG
Arlando “Mo” Arnold (Southern Miss): 5.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.1 APG
Kevin Cross Jr. (Tulane): 12.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 3.0 APG
Bradley Ezewiro (UAB): 7.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 0.4 APG
Shawn Fulcher (Alabama State): 6.2 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 2.2 APG
Markese Hastings (Robert Morris): 9.2 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.4 APG
Cedquavious Hunter (New Orleans): 8.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 0.6 APG
Da’Sean Nelson (Eastern Michigan): 16.1 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.5 APG
Demond Robinson (Kennesaw State): 12.6 PPG, 7.4 rpg, 0.9 APG
Dyquavion “Jah” Short (New Orleans): 9.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.3 APG
Airion Simmons (Abilene Christian): 12.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.2 APG
Jalen Terry (Eastern Michigan): 16.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.9 APG
The ring also targeted active NCAA participants, all of whom played for their respective teams within the past week. Those players include:
Simeon Cottle (Kennesaw State): 20.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.8 APG
Carlos Hart (Eastern Michigan): 13.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.7 APG
Camian Shell (Delaware State): 8.0 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 1.9 APG
Oumar Koureissi (Texas): 4.9 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 0.4 APG
The allegations against Hart, Shell, and Koureissi reportedly involve their actions at previous schools; Hart at New Orleans; Shell at North Carolina A&T; and Koureissi at Nicholls State.
The allegations against Hart, Shell & Koureissi are from previous schools. Hart when he was at New Orleans; Shell when he was at North Carolina A&T; and Koureissi when he was at Nicholls State. The incident from the indictments involving Cottle was from Kennesaw's 23-24 season.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) January 15, 2026
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Who was involved?
While the ring might’ve avoided blue-blood programs, they still targeted high-profile players at their respective schools.
Cottle, a fourth-year senior, was named Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year in the fall. He scored at least 10 points in all but two games last year and all but one this year.
Hart is the second-leading scorer on Eastern Michigan. Terry led the Eagles in scoring a year ago, his last in the NCAA.
Trainers Jalen Smith and Roderick Winkler and “high-stakes” bettors Marves Fairley and Shane Hennen were also named in the indictment.
Fairely and Hennen attempted to recruit Antonio Blakeney, who spent two years with the Chicago Bulls after graduating from LSU and before moving to the Chinese Basketball Association’s Jiangsu Dragons. Blakeney allegedly agreed to participate and recruited other players from Jiangsu, although he was not named in the indictment.
"We allege an extensive international criminal conspiracy of NCAA players, alumni and professional bettors who fixed gains across the country and poisoned the American spirit of competition for monetary gain," U.S. attorney David Metcalf told reporters Thursday. “(Conspirators) engaged in a point-shaving scheme involving more than 39 players on more than 17 different NCAA Division I men’s basketball teams who then fixed and attempted to fix more than 29 (games).”
The illicit activity is believed to have begun in September 2022 and resulted in millions of dollars in wagers.
Aftermath
All together, players who were indicted are accused of nefariously altering outcomes in games involving Nicholls State, Tulane, Northwestern State, Saint Louis, LaSalle, Fordham, Buffalo, DePaul, Robert Morris, Southern Miss, North Carolina A&T, Kennesaw State, Coppin State, New Orleans, Abilene Christian, Eastern Michigan, and Alabama State.
College players allegedly received $10,000 to $30,000 per game they manipulated.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
