March 5, 2023; Piscataway, NJ, USA; A view of the Adidas game ball on the floor during the second half between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Northwestern Wildcats at Jersey Mike’s Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images One of the men accused of masterminding a plot to influence the outcome of college basketball games pleaded guilty to charges Monday.
Jalen Smith, 30, of Charlotte, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Nitza I. Quinones Alejandro in Philadelphia to charges of bribery, wire fraud and illegal firearms possession.
The U.S. Department of Justice indicted 26 people in January, including former NBA player and LSU star Antonio Blakeney, on charges of involvement in a point-shaving conspiracy.
Prosecutors alleged that Smith, an athletic trainer at North Carolina, was one of six “modifiers” who “argued with players from minor and mid-major college teams to prevent teams from preventing spreads of play during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 NCAA men’s basketball seasons.”
According to prosecutors, “Smith played a leadership role in the scheme, specifically in recruiting, managing and paying players according to their roles,” NBC News reported.
According to The Athletic, the players allegedly involved were from Abilene Christian, Alabama State, Buffalo, Coppin State, DePaul, Eastern Michigan, Fordham, Kennesaw State, La Salle, New Orleans, Nicholls State, North Carolina A&T, Northwestern State, Robert Morris, Saint Louis, Southern Miss and Tulane.
According to the indictment, more than 29 games were modified and gamblers received dollars in payouts for the affected contests.
Sentencing for Smith, who is free on bail, is scheduled for June. According to NBC News, he could face up to five years in prison for bribery, up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud, and up to 20 years in prison for the firearms charge.
According to multiple media reports, investigators found the guns during a gambling investigation and the number of guns was counted because he was prohibited from owning firearms due to a previous felony conviction.
–Field level media
