Ohio U, Kent State basketball games mentioned in mass betting scandal

Ohio University and Kent State men's basketball games were mentioned in an unsealed federal indictment obtained by The Dispatch Jan. 15 that alleges point-shaving took place involving games played by the two programs

The indictment alleges bettors, including Jalen Smith, Marvis Fairley and Roderick Winkler, placed a total of aproximately $424,000 on a Feb. 27, 2024, game for Kent State to cover an 8.5-point first-half spread against Buffalo.

Before the game, Smith and Antonio Blakeney (charged elsewhere) engaged in a FaceTime call with Buffalo players Shawn Fulcher (a defendant listed in the indictment), Isaiah Adams (charged elsewhere) and an unnamed player, according to the indictment.

The indictment uses missed dunks and layups as evidence of point shaving from the three players, who scored 1 point in the last 13 minutes of the first half combined. Fulcher ended the game with 7 points on 2-for-6 shooting with four turnovers, while Isaiah Adams finished with 19 points and four turnovers. Kent State outscored Buffalo by 12 points in the first half.

The indictment alleges that Smith and another defendant, Alberto Laureano, traveled to Buffalo on March 2, 2024, and delivered approximately $54,000 to the three players.

Then, ahead of Buffalo's game against Ohio University on March 5, the group engaged in another FaceTime call with the same players to ensure Buffalo failed to cover the 5.5-point spread in favor of the Bobcats, according to the indictment. Ohio outscored Buffalo 40-33. Fulcher had 7 points on 2-for-9 shooting, while Adams had seven turnovers and made 4 of 11 field goal attempts. Ohio won the game 78-66.

In total, 19 people were indicted, including four current college basketball players and many former athletes. Fixers would allegedly bribe the players with payments between $10,000 and $30,000 per game fixed, according to the indictment.

More than 20 attachments in the complaint remain sealed. There was also a bench warrant issued for Winkler, one of the defendants and alleged bettors involved.

"The Association has and will continue to aggressively pursue sports betting violations in college athletics using a layered integrity monitoring program that covers over 22,000 contests," NCAA president Charlie Baker said in a statement , "but we still need the remaining states, regulators and gaming companies to eliminate threats to integrity – such as collegiate prop bets – to better protect athletes and leagues from integrity risks and predatory bettors."

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine told the Associated Press in November that he regrets legalizing sports betting in Ohio in 2021. He told The Dispatch on Oct. 28 that he planned to ban "micro prop" bets on Major League Baseball games in the wake of Cleveland Guardians pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase being charged at a federal courthouse for their alleged roles in a scheme to rig bets on pitches they threw.

This story was updated to remove a factual error made by the government in the indictment.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: College basketball betting scandal mentions Ohio U, Kent State