Federal prosecutors indict 26 people for allegedly fixing college basketball games in widespread conspiracy

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Federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania announced Thursday that at least 26 people were indicted in an alleged "transactional criminal scheme" to fix NCAA Division I men's basketball games and professional Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) games. 

Prosecutors say the participants bribed CBA players "to underperform and help ensure their team failed to cover the spread in certain games and then, through various sports books, arranged for large wagers to be placed on those games against that team," according to Thursday's indictment.

"[Defendants] aided and abetted the carrying into effect, the attempt to carry into effect, and the conspiracy to carry into effect, a scheme in commerce to influence by bribery sporting contests, that is, Chinese Basketball Association ("CBA") men's basketball games and National Collegiate Athletic Association ("NCAA") men's basketball games, with the defendants engaging in different aspects of this scheme, with knowledge that the purpose of this scheme was to influence in some way those contests by bribery," the indictment said.

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General view of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament Championship game between the University of Kentucky Wildcats and the University of Florida Gators at the Georgia Dome on March 14, 2004 in Atlanta, Georgia.  (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Former NBA player Antonio Blakeney is among those charged. Blakeney was a McDonald's All-American in 2015 and attended LSU for two seasons. 

Blakeney, a star player on the Jiangsu Dragons, was recruited and paid bribes to underperform and influence the outcome of games, prosecutors