A North Carolina man pleaded guilty Monday to charges connected to his "leadership role" in a massive point-shaving operation that rigged dozens of college basketball games.
Jalen Smith, 30, of Charlotte, was the first of 26 defendants to admit criminal wrongdoing in the sprawling scheme that brought a federal prosecution out of Philadelphia this year.
At a hearing in Philadelphia before U.S. District Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro, Smith pleaded guilty to bribery, wire fraud and illegal possession of a firearm.
Smith was a "fixer" who recruited players "to underperform and help ensure their team failed to cover the spread in games during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 NCAA men’s basketball seasons," federal prosecutors said in a statement.
Smith was crucial in the operation, authorities said.
"Smith had a leadership role in the scheme, particularly in recruiting, managing, and paying players for their roles," prosecutors said.
With players agreeing to take dives, Smith and his cohorts "helped to arrange for large wagers to be placed on those games, betting against the team whose player or players they had bribed to engage in this point-shaving scheme," prosecutors said.
The point-shaving operation involved "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 NCAA games," according to prosecutors.
Smith pleaded guilty because he wants to "move his life forward in a positive direction," defense attorney Rocco Cipparone said in a statement.
“He accepted his responsibility early on and simply wants to put this limited chapter of his life behind him," Cipparone said.
Smith is scheduled to be sentenced in June.
The bribery charge carries a maximum sentence of five years behind bars, wire fraud tops out at 20 years, and the firearms violation could bring up to 20 years.
Cipparone declined to estimate how much time his client might have to do.
"Of course, though, I anticipate that I will present myriad mitigating factors to the court in support of a reduced sentence, including but not limited to Mr. Smith’s early acknowledgement of his responsibility for his actions, his guilty plea, and his personal background and circumstances," Cipparone said.
