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Federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania announced Thursday that at least 26 people were charged in an alleged “criminal transactional scheme” to fix NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball games and Chinese Professional Basketball Association games.
The announcement follows the federal government’s crackdown on illicit sports betting and point-reduction schemes that hit the NBA in October.
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania David Metcalf announced the indictment at a news conference Thursday where he said the alleged scheme took place over a three-year span and involved 17 NCAA Division 1 men’s programs and dozens of college athletes and fixed games.
“When criminals taint the purity of sports by manipulating competition, they not only jeopardize the integrity of sports betting markets and they jeopardize the integrity of sport itself and everything that sports represent to us, you know, hard work, determination and fairness,” Metcalf said.
“We allege an extensive international criminal conspiracy of NCAA players, alumni and professional gamblers who fixed games across the country and poisoned the American spirit of competition for monetary gain.”
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
