The weeks leading to the NBA Draft can be a tense period for the nation’s top collegiate prospects as they vie for 30 coveted spots in the opening round.
The NBA Draft Combine this week in Chicago brings together the worlds of pro and college basketball, with scouts evaluating arguably the strongest collection of talent since the famed class of 1996. At the same time, two major betting scandals in college basketball and the NBA have converged after the transfer of a prominent Pennsylvania case to Brooklyn. But major questions still remain after a magistrate judge delayed the plea hearing of a key figure this week.
Marves Fairley, a presumed ringleader in the college point shaving case, entered an agreement with prosecutors 1 May to plead guilty in the matter. Fairley, a Mississippi resident, was scheduled to appear for a change of plea hearing on Tuesday. However, less than 48 hours before the hearing, Magistrate Judge Joseph Marutollo adjourned the hearing.
Based on the ruling, the judge adjourned the hearing “sine die,” meaning the court has not scheduled a new date. Reached by iGB on Monday, Fairley’s attorney Eric Siegle declined to comment.
Consolidating the cases
Last October, Fairley was one of 31 defendants named in parallel sports betting and illegal poker cases. At a historic press conference in Brooklyn, former US Attorney General Pam Bondi joined Joseph Nocella Jr., US Attorney for the Southern District of New York and FBI Director Kash Patel, who commuted from Washington, DC for the event. Earlier that morning, federal law enforcement arrested former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups in separate pre-dawn raids.
The charges against Rozier surround a March 2023 game when the guard was a member of the Charlotte Hornets. Prior to the game against the New Orleans Pelicans, a group of defendants wagered more than $200,000 on bets that Rozier would hit the “under” on a series of props. Rozier, a 2015 first-round pick, is accused of leaving the game early to ensure the outcome of the wagers.
Fairley is a defendant in US v. Earnest, the high-profile sports betting case. According to prosecutors, Fairley allegedly gave Deniro Laster, another co-defendant, tens of thousands of dollars for the tip on Rozier. Separately, Fairley is accused of taking part in another scheme involving former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Damon Jones. A former unpaid assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers, Jones pleaded guilty to two charges of wire fraud conspiracy 28 April.
Following Jones’ hearing, the court unsealed a filing related to Fairley’s case in Pennsylvania. The filing contained a letter where prosecutors argued for a “change of venue” in the point-shaving matter, contending that the cases are “presumptively related”. The college case has been reassigned to US District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall, the presiding judge in the Earnest matter.
What’s next in the point shaving case?
Several months after he was named in the Brooklyn case, a Philadelphia grand jury unsealed charges against Fairley in a college basketball indictment. Fairley, a former high school basketball star, was one of 26 defendants indicted in the sweeping case. The takedown is arguably the largest point-shaving scandal in college basketball since the infamous City College of New York case 75 years ago.
In March, lead defendant Jalen Smith pleaded guilty in the point-shaving matter. Prosecutors identified the trainer as an individual who used his position to recruit college players for participation in the scheme. Typically, a player received between $10,000 and $30,000 for assistance in fixing a single game.
Nearly two dozen players have been named as defendants, mostly from mid-major programmes in NCAA Division I college basketball. Before his indictment in January, former Kennesaw State guard Simeon Cottle emerged as an NBA Draft prospect. Cottle, who has pleaded not guilty, declined to participate in an NCAA investigation.
Ambiguities on potential cooperation
Smith pleaded guilty to several charges, most notably for bribery in sporting contests. While the trainer is facing up to 60 years in prison, the presiding judge has wide latitude next month when he hands down the sentence.
An attorney for Smith told ESPN that his client is cooperating with the government to “move forward with his life”. As of Wednesday, Smith is the only defendant in the college case to plead guilty.
Also next month, Fairley is scheduled to appear in Brooklyn for a status conference in the Earnest matter. Prior to Jones’ hearing last month, his attorney Kenneth Montgomery told iGB that the ex-NBA player is not cooperating with the government.
Jones may receive more than five years in prison on the wire fraud convictions. Meanwhile, it is unclear if Fairley has agreed to serve as a cooperating witness in the disparate cases.
Matt Rybaltowski
Matt is primarily responsible for long-form feature coverage on complex sports betting scandals. He also provides coverage on finance, M&A and other technological developments.
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/sports-betting/plea-hearing-delayed-for-marves-fairley-key-figure-in-nba-and-college-betting-cases/
