Federal authorities appear close to bringing charges in a far-reaching college basketball investigation involving alleged point shaving and game manipulation. The inquiry, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (EDPA), has reportedly zeroed in on “Southern schools” but spans multiple regions and programs nationwide.
According to sources cited by Sports Illustrated, federal agents have interviewed players suspected of altering their performances to benefit gamblers wagering on their games. “There are going to be charges,” one source familiar with the matter stated, describing the case as “national in scope” and implicating “multiple players and programs.”
Connection to Jontay Porter Gambling Ring
The EDPA’s probe intersects with an Eastern District of New York (EDNY) case tied to the gambling ring involving former NBA player Jontay Porter, who was banned for life in 2024. The EDNY is also examining irregular betting patterns on current NBA player Malik Beasley’s performances during the 2023–24 season. Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney, has emphasized, “An investigation is not a charge. He has not been charged.”
Authorities believe the same network charged in Porter’s case may have been linked to wagers on at least nine college basketball games over the past two seasons. Gambling integrity monitors flagged suspicious activity in contests involving at least five programs, with the potential for more to be identified.
The NCAA is running its own investigations into multiple schools, including New Orleans, Eastern Michigan, Mississippi Valley State, and Temple. Separate cases have also involved Fresno State, Loyola Maryland, and North Carolina A&T. In some instances, alerts from betting compliance agencies led to deeper inquiries into unusual line movements or outcomes.
NCAA and Institutional Actions
The University of New Orleans began an internal review in January before forwarding findings to the NCAA. Interim athletic director Vince Granito confirmed that four players were removed from the roster by February 1, with one later graduating and the rest transferring. “This is not just a University of New Orleans issue. It’s a national issue. This is going on in a lot of places,” Granito noted.
Eastern Michigan’s investigation also began in January after the NCAA sent a notice of inquiry dated January 17. Within days, the NCAA requested cell phone records from five unnamed individuals. Two Eastern Michigan games from last season—against Wright State on December 21 and Central Michigan on January 14—were flagged by watchdogs.
ESPN previously reported that North Carolina A&T and Mississippi Valley State were also under scrutiny for suspicious first-half betting lines. For North Carolina A&T, the concern centered on a January 9 matchup against Delaware, where line shifts favored the Blue Hens, who ultimately covered the spread.
Temple and Loyola Maryland were likewise flagged in 2023–24. Temple’s game against UAB saw the betting line jump from UAB -1.5 to as high as -8.5 before UAB won decisively, 100–72. Loyola Maryland’s season-ending loss to Navy in the Patriot League Tournament was followed the next day by head coach Tavaras Hardy’s resignation, which was unrelated to the gambling matter.
In the Porter-related criminal proceedings, five individuals have been charged, four of whom—Porter, Timothy McCormack, Mahmud Mollah, and Long Phi “Bruce” Pham—have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Their sentencing dates have been delayed, suggesting ongoing cooperation with prosecutors.
A fifth defendant, Ammar Awawdeh, faces charges including conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery and is negotiating a plea. A sixth man, Shane Hennen, was arrested in January and is expected to be charged with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering. Court filings from EDNY U.S. Attorney Carolyn Pokorny allege Hennen engaged in fraudulent sports betting and money-laundering schemes totaling millions of dollars.
During Pham’s plea hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sanket J. Bulsara noted that his agreement detailed “several different frauds” beyond the two games in which Porter allegedly faked injuries to benefit co-conspirators’ prop bets. As part of their deals, McCormack, Mollah, and Pham agreed to forfeit illicit proceeds ranging from $40,585.54 to $393,136.62, with restitution amounts to be determined.
Prosecutors estimate victim losses in some cases to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. In McCormack’s plea hearing, EDNY Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Weintraub gave a “very broad estimate” of $200,000 in losses to victims.
With indictments looming, the case is expected to draw intense attention ahead of the upcoming college basketball season in October.
