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United States Attorney David Metcalf announced charges Thursday morning against 26 people in connection with an alleged bribery and point-shaving scheme to fix NCAA Division I men’s basketball games and Chinese Basketball Association games.
Among those charged were Shane Hennon.
Jeff Nadu of the The Sit Down With Jeff Nadu podcast, referred to Hennen as an "NBA Mafia Poker Scammer".
Unreal. This rat scammer scumbag indicted again pic.twitter.com/du7rPVuMU2
— Jeff Nadu (@JeffNadu) January 15, 2026
"I reported on this guy, an informant named Shane Hennen, who a couple of months ago was charged in a wide ranging NBA game fixing and poker indictment out of New York City," Nadu noted.
That indictment named Hennen, also known as "Sugar", was charged in October with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy for their alleged roles in a scheme to use inside information from National Basketball Association (NBA) players and coaches to profit from illegal betting activity.
The defendants in that case, who are located across the country, will be arraigned at a future date in the Eastern District of New York.
Among those arrested in that case were Chauncy Billops, the head coach of the Portland Trailblazers, and Terry Rozier of the Miami Heat.
“Today the FBI arrested six people, including current and former NBA players, for their alleged role in illegal sports betting and money laundering conspiracy – the result of a sweeping investigation conducted by outstanding FBI professionals and partners. Using private information and positions of power to rig sports gambling outcomes is not only illegal, but destroys the integrity of the game and will never be tolerated. We will continue following the money to ensure gambling operations of all kinds stay within the law and bring to justice those who take advantage of innocent victims,” stated FBI Director Kash Patel back in October.
“Former and current NBA players and coaches, including Terry Rozier, Damon Jones and additional co-conspirators, allegedly informed the defendants and others of confidential information relating to upcoming NBA games and player performances, such as pre-release medical information and a player’s intention to alter their upcoming game performance, which favored certain bettors within their inner social circle,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “This alleged collusion resulted in the defendants secretly pocketing their lavish winnings and corrupting NBA games. The FBI will never turn a blind eye to any insider betting scheme within sporting industries – regardless of title or professional affiliation – to protect its integrity and afford all participants a fair chance to win big.
“Rigging a professional basketball game for personal profit is as immoral as it is illegal,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “This investigation exposed a gambling ring built around the NBA, where players and associates allegedly used inside information and even faked injuries to fraudulently manipulate bets on games. The fact that some players altered their performance or took themselves out of games to ensure these bets paid out is an offense to every player and fan. Thanks to the incredible work of the NYPD detectives and our partners at the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, this illegal sports betting operation has been benched for good.”
Twenty of the 26 defendants named in Thursday's incitement played college basketball during the 2023-24 and/or 2024-25 seasons, according to the indictment. Four of the players charged -- Simeon Cottle, Carlos Hart, Camian Shell and Oumar Koureissi -- have played for their current teams in the past week.
Nadu notes that Hennen is alleged to have offered bribes to college players in order to compromise games.
The poker scheme indictment from October, which names Billups, alleges that the Mafia rigged poker games, after which the the crime syndicate would take a portion of the winnings and go after debtors.
But Nadu threw a wrench into the whole indictment against Hennen.
"Guess what? Nothing will happen to Shane Hennen because he is an informant," Nadu alleges. "This goes back to the late 2000's. He cooperated in a case in Western Pennsylvania. I've heard through all different sources that he's been an informant for years and a lot of people allege he has cooperated in multiple cases."
Nadu provided Gambling911.com with the portion of the indictment supporting his tweet.
This outlines it as a fact https://t.co/tpuswrusQD pic.twitter.com/JUD7kOgW8H
— Jeff Nadu (@JeffNadu) January 16, 2026
- Nagesh Rath, Gambling911.com
