Marves Fairley pleads guilty in NBA and NCAA fixing cases

Marves Fairley pleaded guilty Thursday at the Eastern District of New York courthouse in Brooklyn to seven federal corruption-related charges in linked NBA and NCAA investigations. He changed earlier not-guilty pleas and admitted to counts in two separate indictments.

In the NBA indictment Fairley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. In the NCAA case he pleaded guilty to bribery in sporting contests, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud. Sentencing is set for Feb. 24, 2027. Federal prosecutors are seeking a prison term of 97 to 121 months. Statutory maximum penalties include 20 years each for the wire fraud and money laundering counts and five years for the sports-bribery charge.

Prosecutors say Fairley, a Mississippi sports bettor who described himself as an online tout, used relationships with professional and college players to obtain non-public information and recruit players to alter game outcomes for bettors. The NBA-related charges center on former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and allegations that performance was manipulated so gamblers could win prop bets by wagering on “unders” for specific statistics.

The NCAA indictment alleges Fairley recruited players, many from low-profile programs and without lucrative name-image-likeness deals, to shave points and affect spreads. Twenty-six people were named in the NCAA indictment. The NCAA case was originally filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and later transferred to New York because of overlapping co-defendants.

Court records include text messages prosecutors say show Fairley communicating with recruited players and other conspirators. Prosecutors say their investigations have relied on phone records, transactional evidence, witness statements and electronic communications and have involved multiple athletes, intermediaries and former NBA personnel.

Fairley announced plans to plead guilty after reaching a cooperation agreement with the Department of Justice in April. He faces lower prison exposure if the court accepts the plea agreement than he did at the outset of the prosecutions.

Two other defendants in the overlapping cases have pleaded guilty. Former NBA player and coach Damon Jones pleaded guilty in the NBA matter after being accused of sharing non-public information about a player matching a description of LeBron James sitting out a game. Recruiter Jalen Smith pleaded guilty in March to counts that included bribery in sporting contests, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and an unrelated firearms charge.

When the NBA indictments were unsealed, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Brooklyn wrote in court filings: “As alleged, the defendants turned professional basketball into a criminal betting operation, using private locker room and medical information to enrich themselves and cheat legitimate sportsbooks. This was a sophisticated conspiracy involving athletes, coaches, and intermediaries who exploited confidential information for profit. Insider betting schemes erode the integrity of American sports, and this Office will continue in its strong tradition of holding accountable anyone who seeks to corrupt sports through illegal means.”

The prosecutions are part of a broader federal effort to investigate and prosecute betting-related corruption in college and professional basketball, focused on bribery, misuse of confidential team information and concealment and laundering of proceeds from illegal wagering.