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Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania have charged 26 individuals in a sweeping bribery and point-shaving conspiracy that manipulated both NCAA Division I men’s basketball games and professional games in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), according to a press release from the US Attorney’s Office.
The indictment, unsealed Thursday in Philadelphia federal court, alleges that fixers and intermediaries engaged in a years-long scheme to influence game outcomes in order to profit from sports betting.
The announcement comes amid growing concerns over the integrity of sports following the expansion of legal wagering nationwide, including in Pennsylvania.
La Salle University among targeted NCAA programs
According to the federal indictment, games involving La Salle University were among the NCAA contests that conspirators sought to manipulate through point shaving.
Prosecutors allege the conspirators targeted 17 Division I programs in total, placing La Salle alongside schools such as Tulane, DePaul, Robert Morris and others whose games were reportedly influenced by the scheme.
While the DOJ press release itself doesn’t list each implicated school by name, a La Salle men’s basketball game in February 2024 has been identified in the scandal.
Two of the defendants, along with others, bet on St. Bonaventure covering the first-half spread as a 5.5-point favorite, which tallied up to $247,000. According to the document, Live! Casino Philadelphia accepted a $30,000 wager prior to the game.
La Salle ended up covering the spread, leading St. Bonaventure 36-28 at halftime.
As of now, there have been no public allegations that La Salle as an institution engaged in wrongdoing, nor have individual La Salle players been identified in the indictment in public reports.
But the listing of La Salle games in the court document indicates that one or more of the Explorers’ matchups were part of the broader conspiracy.
How authorities say the scheme operated
Prosecutors say the conspiracy began in the 2022–23 CBA season before extending into NCAA basketball through early 2025. The defendants allegedly included fixers, trainers, former players, and more than a dozen current collegiate athletes who were bribed to participate.
Authorities allege fixers offered players cash payments, typically between $10,000 and $30,000 per game, to ensure their teams failed to cover the point spread. The conspirators then placed large bets tied to those manipulated outcomes, generating “substantial proceeds” for themselves while defrauding sports operators and honest bettors.
US Attorney David Metcalf said in a statement:
“The stakes here are far higher than anything on a bet slip. The criminal charges we have filed allege the criminal corruption of collegiate athletics through an international conspiracy of NCAA players, alumni, and professional bettors.
“It’s also yet another blow to public confidence in the integrity of sport, which rests on the fundamental principles of fairness, honesty, and respect for the rules of competition.
“When criminal acts threaten to corrupt such a central institution of American life, the Department of Justice won’t hesitate to step in.”
Altogether, the indictment says more than 39 players across 17 Division I teams were involved in 29 or more games that were fixed or attempted to be fixed.
Pennsylvania’s role in the investigation
The fact that the federal case was investigated and filed in Philadelphia, part of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, underscores the state’s role in pursuing alleged violations of federal sports bribery and fraud statutes.
FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey added:
“Over the past two years, the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office led an investigation into a point-shaving and sports-bribery conspiracy resulting in the indictments announced today.
“This case reflects the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting the American people and the institutions they trust. I am proud of the outstanding work of the FBI teams involved in the case.
“To those who choose corruption and betrayal: we will find you, we will investigate you, and we will hold you accountable.”
Pennsylvania is also among the country’s leading markets for legal sports wagering, where college basketball wagering is immensely popular each season. Officials have stressed the importance of safeguarding competitive integrity, particularly in states with robust regulated betting markets.
Temple University was part of a separate wagering probe that involved student-athletes and staff members. The NCAA handed out punishments for those instances in November 2025.
Charges and potential penalties
The 26 defendants face a variety of federal charges, including bribery in sporting contests, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Depending on the specific counts, convictions could carry up to five years for sports bribery and up to 20 years for wire fraud counts, though every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
