Las Vegas gambler Shane Hennen pleads guilty to bribing college basketball players in federal game-fixing case

What happened

Shane "Sugar Shane" Hennen, 41, a gambler listed as being from Las Vegas and Philadelphia, pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges tied to bribing college basketball players and trying to fix NCAA men's games. The Las Vegas Sun reported the plea, citing a U.S. Justice Department news release.

Hennen entered the plea in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania before U.S. District Judge Nitza Quiñones Alejandro. According to the release, he pleaded guilty to bribery in sports contests, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud.

How prosecutors describe the scheme

Court filings say Hennen and others worked during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons to recruit players who would take bribes to influence NCAA game outcomes. That included helping make sure their team failed to cover the point spread for the first half of a game or for the full game.

Scale of the fixing

The Justice Department release said the scheme involved more than 39 players on 17 Division I teams, who fixed or tried to fix more than 29 games. It led to more than $3 million in fraudulent wagers on those games and more than $1.1 million in losses to sportsbooks around the country, the release stated.

Earlier guilty pleas

This is not Hennen's first plea. The Sun reported that in May he pleaded guilty in a New York case involving insider information obtained from NBA players and coaches, which was passed through a network of bettors who placed wagers through online sportsbooks and retail betting outlets. According to the release, he got into game fixing through similar schemes involving Chinese Basketball Association games in the 2022-23 season, and he pleaded guilty to that conduct as well.

Penalties he faces

Hennen is set to be sentenced on Feb. 25, 2027, in Philadelphia. In that case he faces a maximum of 85 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine and restitution, according to the release.

In the New York case, he faces a maximum of 40 years plus supervised release, fines and restitution. The Sun reported that the college and Chinese league case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia with help from FBI New York and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, while the NBA case was investigated by FBI New York and the New York Police Department.

The wider investigation

The plea came one day after Jalen Smith, 30, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced to six years in prison for his part in fixing games during the same period. The Sun reported that it was the first sentence handed down in the investigation into a network of professional gamblers and college players.

How players were targeted

Prosecutors said Smith played a "central role," placing bets and recruiting players with promises of large payments to underperform. According to prosecutors, players on underdog teams were prime targets because the bribes exceeded what they could earn from legitimate sponsorships. An indictment said payments typically ranged from $10,000 to $30,000 per game.

Schools and defendants named

The Sun reported that the scheme Smith was part of involved nearly 30 NCAA games and schools including DePaul University, the State University of New York at Buffalo and Tulane University. Prosecutors accused Smith and at least 26 other named defendants of wagering millions of dollars, and the charges also targeted more than a dozen former college players and four players who were active with their teams last season. More coverage of federal cases is collected on our public safety page.

What to watch next

• Hennen's sentencing in Philadelphia, scheduled for Feb. 25, 2027.
• Sentencing in Hennen's separate New York case over NBA insider betting information, where he faces up to 40 years.
• Further court action involving the at least 26 other named defendants, including former and active college players.