‘Sugar Shane’ Hennen Pleads Guilty in NBA, NCAA Betting Probe

High-stakes gambler and tipster Shane “Sugar Shane” Hennen has pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges stemming from his role in using insider information to place illicit wagers on NBA and college basketball games.

His guilty plea Wednesday (Oct. 14) came a day after co-defendant Jalen Smith, 30, was sentenced to six years in federal prison for his role in the sprawling college basketball point-shaving conspiracy.

Hennen, 41, entered the pleas in federal court in Philadelphia, admitting to conspiracy involving Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) games, NCAA Division I basketball, and a separate scheme exploiting confidential information from NBA players and coaches.

The Las Vegas-based gambler previously pleaded guilty to participating in Mafia-backed high-stakes illegal poker games, completing guilty pleas across all three federal investigations.

Overseas and College Point-Shaving Schemes

According to federal prosecutors, Hennen and fellow professional gambler Marves Fairley recruited former NBA player Antonio Blakeney, then playing for China’s Jiangsu Dragons, to deliberately underperform so gamblers could profit by betting against the team.

During a March 2023 game, Blakeney scored 11 points against a season average exceeding 32 points as the Dragons lost by 31. Prosecutors say the group placed nearly $200,000 in wagers on the contest, including large bets executed through Rivers Casino in Philadelphia.

“Nothing guaranteed in this world but death, taxes, and Chinese basketball,” Hennen messaged an accomplice, according to the indictment.

The group then transferred their model to college basketball, recruiting players who were typically offered $10,000 to $30,000 to ensure their teams failed to cover point spreads.

In total, prosecutors state more than 39 players across at least 17 NCAA programs were involved in attempts to manipulate over 29 games during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. Conspirators wagered more than $3 million fraudulently, inflicting losses exceeding $1.1 million on licensed sportsbooks.

NBA Insider Information Probe

Hennen also admitted participating in a separate operation that used nonpublic injury and lineup information to place bets on NBA games.

Prosecutors have linked that scheme to former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter, banned from the NBA for life, and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, who is charged separately.

Bettors allegedly knew in advance when certain players would leave games early, allowing them to profit from wagers that the players would fall short of performance targets.

Hennen pleaded guilty to bribery in sporting contests, conspiracy, and three counts of wire fraud in the CBA/NCAA case, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in the NBA case.

The maximum penalties in the two cases total 125 years in prison, although the actual term is likely to be considerably lower.

Sentencing in Philadelphia is scheduled for Feb. 25, 2027.