Shane Hennen, a Las Vegas sports bettor indicted in three high-profile federal gambling cases, pleaded guilty on Wednesday in Philadelphia to charges tied to betting schemes involving the NBA, the NCAA and the Chinese Basketball Association. Hennen pleaded guilty to sports bribery, aiding and abetting, and conspiracy charges related to wire fraud and money laundering in two of the cases in federal court. The maximum sentence is 125 years in prison, according to the Department of Justice's plea memorandum. His sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 25, 2027.
Federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania say Hennen took part in a nearly three-year scheme that began around September 2022 and aimed to fix basketball games in the CBA and NCAA men's basketball. Prosecutors described him as a "fixer" who worked with others who recruited and bribed players to underperform so their teams failed to cover the spread. He then placed large wagers on those games, and arranged for others to do so, generating proceeds for the scheme.
Hennen also pleaded guilty to participating in a scheme to use nonpublic information to bet on NBA games and players, in a case from the Eastern District of New York involving Terry Rozier. An attorney for Hennen declined comment when reached by ESPN.
Hennen still faces charges in a third case involving allegedly rigged poker games backed by the Mafia. NBA coach and Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and former NBA player and coach Damon Jones were also indicted in the poker case.
Source: ESPN NBA · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing