Former DePaul players, ex-Bull guard named in alleged scheme to rig basketball games

CHICAGO - Federal prosecutors say several former DePaul University basketball players and a former Chicago Bulls player were part of an alleged betting scheme that involved rigging basketball games.

What we know:

Prosecutors charged 20 people Thursday in federal court in Philadelphia, including 15 former college basketball players, in what they described as a scheme to fix games in the NCAA and the Chinese Basketball Association.

Among those named in the indictment are former DePaul players Jalen Terry, who was arrested Thursday in Flint, Michigan, and Da’Sean Nelson. Former Blue Demon Micawber Etienne, along with former Chicago Bulls player Antonio Blakeney, were "charged elsewhere" in the scheme.

Authorities say the players were recruited by "fixers" who offered bribe payments, typically ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game, to influence game outcomes or individual performances.

The following was written in the indictment:

• "In or about late February 2024, in FaceTime communications among the fixers and the DePaul players, defendants JALEN TERRY and DA’SEAN NELSON, and Micawber Etienne and Person #6, agreed to fix an upcoming DePaul game in exchange for bribe payments. In particular, shortly before the NCAA men’s basketball game between DePaul and the Georgetown University Hoyas Men’s Basketball Team ("Georgetown") on or about February 24, 2024, the players agreed to underperform in and influence the first half of the Georgetown game so that DePaul would not cover the first-half spread. Georgetown was favored by approximately 2.5 points for the first half at sportsbooks throughout the United States and elsewhere."
• "On or about February 24, 2024, in the NCAA men’s basketball game between Georgetown and DePaul, at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois, defendants JALEN TERRY and DA’SEAN NELSON, and Micawber Etienne and Person #6, underperformed in and influenced the first half as they had agreed. Georgetown outscored DePaul 41 to 28 in the first half, covering the spread of approximately 2.5 points, and the fixers won their bets."
• "On or about March 6, 2023, in the CBA men's basketball game between Guangdong and Jiangsu, Antonio Blakeney underperformed in and influenced the game as he and the fixers had agreed. Blakeney, who averaged over 32 points per game in the 2022-2023 season, scored just 11 points in the game. Guangdong defeated Jiangsu 127 to 96, covering the spread, and the fixers won most of their bets."

The charges include wire fraud and are laid out in a 70-page indictment.

Dig deeper:

Of the 20 defendants, prosecutors say 15 played Division I college basketball as recently as the 2024-25 season. The remaining five defendants are described as fixers.

According to prosecutors, those fixers included two men involved in player training and development, a trainer and former coach, a former NCAA player, and two people described as gamblers, influencers and sports handicappers.

What they're saying:

"Protecting competition integrity is of the utmost importance for the NCAA. We are thankful for law enforcement agencies working to detect and combat integrity issues and match manipulation in college sports," NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement on Thursday.

"We also will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement. We urge all student-athletes to make well-informed choices to avoid jeopardizing the game and their eligibility."

Big picture view:

The indictment follows a series of NCAA investigations that have led to at least 10 players receiving lifetime bans this year for betting activity that sometimes involved their own teams or performances.

The NCAA has said at least 30 players have been investigated over gambling allegations.

More than 30 people were also charged last year in a separate federal case tied to illegal gambling operations linked to professional basketball.

Concerns about gambling and college sports have grown since 2018, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on the practice, leading some states to legalize it to varying degrees. The NCAA does not allow athletes or staff to bet on college games, but it briefly allowed student-athletes to bet on professional sports last year before rescinding that decision in November.

More broadly, one betting scandal after another has rocked the sports world, where gambling revenue topped $11 billion for the first three-quarters of last year, according to the American Gaming Association. That’s up more than 13% from the prior year, the group said.