A central figure in sweeping gambling schemes involving pro and college basketball pleaded guilty Thursday to several charges stemming from two separate criminal cases.
Marves Fairley, 40, who has marketed himself on social media as a sports betting influencer, appeared before a federal judge, where he admitted to obtaining nonpublic information to place bets on NBA games in a case brought by Brooklyn prosecutors.
Fairley, who describes himself as a gambling guru, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in the pro basketball betting case.
In court, Fairley said he and several associates devised a scheme to obtain insider information from NBA players and coaches — information that could influence games’ outcomes — and used it to place lucrative wagers.
Fairley said he placed a number of fraudulent bets himself and on behalf of at least one professional player.
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said Fairley purchased inside information about former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier’s deliberate underperformance in a 2023 game, as well as nonpublic details about the medical status of Los Angeles Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, according to the indictment.
“I agreed to pay a player to change their game performance to give me an advantage,” Fairley said, appearing solemn throughout the hearing.
Fairley declined to name any players. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Berman identified the player in question as Rozier.
Prosecutors are expected to file new charges of sports bribery and honest services wire fraud against Rozier, who was charged alongside Fairley last year in the sprawling indictment.
Rozier has maintained his innocence.
“There are some desperate men in this case with terrible criminal records and tons of exposure, and they know what to say to please these prosecutors,” said Jim Trusty, an attorney for Rozier.
Fairley has a lengthy criminal history, including a 2020 guilty plea to federal weapons charges. He has also faced state drug and murder charges in Mississippi, according to court records reviewed by NBC News.
He also admitted Thursday to placing wagers and recruiting and bribing college basketball players to underperform in games in a separate NCAA point-shaving case brought by federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania. In that case, he pleaded guilty to five counts, including sports bribery, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud.
The federal government recommended that Fairley serve 8 to 10 years in prison, saying he was a leader in the schemes and citing the amount of money he profited from the illegal activity.
He is scheduled to be sentenced in February.
Fairley, who was joined by his defense attorney Eric Siegle, declined to comment to reporters outside the courtroom after the hearing.
