Antonio Blakeney among 17 players charged as federal prosecutors expose major NCAA and Chinese basketball betting scandal

Antonio Blakeney never expected his name to appear in a federal court document. But on Thursday, federal prosecutors from the U.S. Department of Justice declared the former college All-American is one of 17 basketball players charged in a large point-shaving scheme that fixed games in both the NCAA and the Chinese Basketball Association. According to an indictment unsealed in Philadelphia, the scheme ran from September 2022 to February 2025. Federal prosecutors said players were paid bribes to play poorly on purpose so gamblers could win bets. The case names 20 total defendants, including players and people accused of running the betting plan.

Prosecutors said sportsbooks and regular bettors lost money because games were no longer fair. The indictment stated, “The sportsbooks would not have paid out those wagers had they known that the defendants fixed those games.” The case was filed by the U.S. Department of Justice, and officials say it is one of the most serious betting fraud cases involving college basketball in recent years.

Antonio Blakeney, Cedquavious Hunter, and Dequavion Short named as scheme spreads across NCAA and CBA

Federal prosecutors said Antonio Blakeney, a former college All-American and top scorer in the Chinese Basketball Association, was recruited into the scheme by Marves Fairley and Shane Hennen. The indictment said the two men offered bribe payments so Blakeney would underperform during games.

The document added that Blakeney later helped recruit teammates to join the plan. After making money from fixed CBA games, prosecutors said the group shifted focus to NCAA men’s basketball.

Two players named in the indictment, Cedquavious Hunter and Dequavion Short, both from New Orleans, were already punished by the NCAA in November for allegedly fixing games.

Prosecutors explained that players were asked to help their teams fail to cover the betting spread, either in the first half or the full game. The indictment said, “In placing these wagers on games they had fixed, the defendants defrauded sportsbooks, as well as individual sports bettors.”

Bribe payments ranged from $10,000 to $30,000 per game. Prosecutors said this amount was more than what many players could earn legally through name, image, and likeness deals. The indictment also said fixers targeted teams expected to lose, making it easier to hide the fixes. The case remains ongoing, and no trial date has been announced.

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