TLDR Jalen Smith, 30, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced to six years in prison for his role in an NCAA point-shaving scheme. He must pay $1.1 million in restitution and forfeit $75,000. The scheme ran from September 2022 to February 2025 and involved more than $3 million in fraudulent wagers. More than 39 players on over 17 Division I teams were offered bribes of $10,000 to $30,000 per game. Smith pleaded guilty in March to four charges, including a firearm charge.
Jalen Smith, a 30-year-old man from Charlotte, North Carolina, has been sentenced to six years in prison. He took part in a bribery and point-shaving scheme that targeted NCAA Division I men’s basketball games.
Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro oversaw the case. News of the sentence was reported on October 14, 2026.
How the Point-Shaving Scheme Worked
Smith was indicted in January of this year. Prosecutors said the scheme ran from about September 2022 to February 2025.
The group first made money from fixed CBA basketball games. After that, they turned their focus to NCAA men’s basketball.
Overall, the scheme involved more than $3 million in fraudulent wagers. Sportsbooks across the country lost more than $1.1 million as a result.
Prosecutors said Smith and at least 26 other named defendants placed millions of dollars in bets. They also paid players hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes.
Smith worked as a “fixer” in the scheme. His job was to recruit and bribe college players to play poorly so their teams would fail to cover the point spread.
This took place during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 seasons. Smith also helped set up large bets through different sportsbooks against the teams whose players had been bribed.
Prosecutors said he held a leadership role. He was involved in