JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A sweeping sports bribery and point-shaving scheme across college and Chinese basketball games has pulled in former Paxon star and All-News4JAX basketball player of the year Isaiah Adams and a couple of ex-Jacksonville University players.
Adams was one of 26 people charged on Thursday in connection with the massive scheme that started with fixing games in the Chinese Basketball Association in 2022 and segued into NCAA Division I games starting in 2023.
Recommended Videos
Two other players with local ties, Mo Arnold and Oumar Koureissi, were also named in the charges. Arnold started 38 games at guard for JU in 2019-21. Koureissi played in 12 games off the bench for JU in 2022-23.
Adams was the All-News4JAX basketball player of the year in 2020, the same season he was named Florida’s Mr. Basketball.
In the charge, the government alleges that Adams was approached in Feb. 2024 by an individual, titled “Person G,” and told Adams that another person was offering bribes to Buffalo players who agreed to point shave and alter the outcomes of games. The charge alleges Adams, Person A and Person G recruited another Buffalo player to participate in the scheme. One of the other Buffalo players named was Shawn Fulcher.
On Feb. 24, 2024, Adams is alleged to have engaged in a FaceTime call with two of the fixers and his teammate to plan out what was to happen during a game against Western Michigan. The fixers asked Adams and the other Buffalo players to go with the under on the first half of that game (Buffalo was a 3-point underdog in that half). Buffalo was outscored by 15 points in that half. At least $90,000 was wagered on that half. Adams and his two teammates were allegedly paid the following day for their help with the scheme.
A Feb. 27 game between Buffalo and Kent State resulted in not nearly the same success for the fixers as Buffalo (an 8.5-point underdog in that half) trailed by eight at the half.
Adams and the two other Buffalo players were alleged to shave points in a March 5 game against Ohio. The charge alleges that Adams and his two Buffalo teammates received roughly $54,000 on March 2 for their roles.
The charge states that Adams shall forfeit at least $17,500 as a result of the case.
Adams signed with UCF out of his school and spent two seasons there before transferring to Buffalo (2022-24). He finished his career at Toledo last year. Adams averaged 10 points and 3.7 rebounds per game over his five seasons.
The allegations for the former JU players
Koureissi is facing charges for issues during his time at Nicholls State and Arnold is facing charges while he was playing at Southern Miss.
Arnold was allegedly contacted on Feb. 28 to help fix a game against South Alabama. The first-half spread in that game was 1.5 points, and Arnold was told to make sure Southern Miss covered that. According to the charge, Arnold underperformed in that game and didn’t score, causing the bettors to lose.
After that, Arnold was approached again to help make up for that big loss. In the following game against Louisiana-Lafayette, bettors wanted Southern Miss to lose the opening half by more than the five-point spread. Louisiana-Lafayette led by 16 at the break. The government said $171,000 was wagered on that half. Arnold was alleged to attempted to recruit three other players on Southern Miss for the scheme.
Koureissi was alleged to have recruited teammate Diante Smith to participate in a point-shaving scheme for a Feb. 17 game against McNeese State. The bettors wagered $100,000 for McNeese State to win by 12 over Nicholls State. Koureissi and Smith “underperformed” and McNeese State won 74-47. Koureissi didn’t score. The documents allege those two were paid $32,000 for the fix.
The fixers who were charged are Jalen Smith, 30, of Charlotte; Marves Fairley, 40, of Carson, Mississippi; Shane Hennen, 40, of Las Vegas and Philadelphia; Antonio Blakeney, 29 of Kissimmee; Roderick Winkler, 31, of Little Rock, Arkansas; and Alberto Laureano, 24, of Bronx, New York.
The government alleges those men solicited players through text message, social media, in person and on the phone. Bribes were said to range from $10,000 to $30,000 a game.