Las Vegas man admits to role in 'fixing' of college basketball games

Las Vegas gambler Shane “Sugar Shane” Hennen, 41, of Las Vegas and Philadelphia, entered a guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Nitza Quiñones Alejandro in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on Wednesday to charges of bribery in sports contests, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud, according to a Justice Department release. Hennen admitted his role in a scheme that ran during the 2023‑24 and 2024‑25 seasons, enlisting at least 39 basketball players from 17 Division I teams to accept bribe payments in exchange for influencing the outcomes of NCAA games. The plot aimed to ensure that selected teams failed to cover the spread for either the first half or the full contest. The operation involved attempts to fix more than 29 games and resulted in over $3 cardinal in fraudulent wagers placed on those contests, producing roughly $1.1 cardinal in losses for sportsbooks nationwide. In a separate matter, Hennen pleaded blameworthy in May before the District of New York to a conspiracy whereby he and associates obtained insider information from NBA players and coaches, then funneled that data through a network of bettors who placed wagers via online and retail sportsbooks. His initial foray into game‑fixing came during the 2022‑23 season, when he participated in similar arrangements to manipulate Chinese Basketball Association contests, a fact to which he also pleaded guilty. Sentencing for Hennen is set for February 25, 2027, in Philadelphia. He faces a maximum possible term of 85 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a monetary fine and restitution. In the New York case, the statutory maximum is 40 years of incarceration, plus supervised release, fines and restitution. The FBI Philadelphia led the investigation into the CBA and NCAA game‑fixing matter, with significant assistance from FBI New York and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The NBA sports‑betting and money‑laundering probe was handled by FBI New York and the New York Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Louis D. Lappen and Jerome M. Maiatico are prosecuting the Eastern District of Pennsylvania case. Hennen’s plea follows the Tuesday sentencing of Jalen Smith, 30, who received six years in prison for his part in fixing games during the same period. Smith, a Charlotte, North Carolina, resident, had recruited players for non‑professional scouting combines before using those connections to involve them in the scheme. Prosecutors described Smith as playing a “central role” in the point‑shaving operation, which encompassed roughly 30 NCAA contests involving schools such as DePaul University, the State University of New York at Buffalo and Tulane University. According to an indictment, payments to players typically ranged from $10,000 to $30,000 per game, with Smith and at least 26 other named defendants wagering millions and disbursing hundreds of thousands in bribes. The charges also named over a dozen former college basketball players and four additional athletes who were active with their respective teams during the past season. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Read the full story at Las Vegas Sun →