Alleged Fixer at Center of College Hoops Federal Investigation to Plead Guilty

Marves Fairley, an alleged linchpin of the men’s college basketball point-shaving scandal, will plead guilty in that case, according to court filings.

In a letter dated April 26, Fairley wrote that he intends to plead guilty to the allegations. In January, Fairley was indicted in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for one count of bribery in sporting contests, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud. He is one of 20 defendants in that case.

Fairley’s letter only covers the college basketball case. He still faces charges in the Eastern District of New York for allegedly profiting off of inside information in NBA games, most notably when former Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier allegedly rigged his own performance.

There have been several major developments in the case so far this week:

On Sunday, Fairley signed his intent to plead guilty in Pennsylvania.

On Monday, prosecutors in Pennsylvania requested to transfer Fairley’s plea and sentencing to New York.

Also on Monday, prosecutors in New York said in court that they now have evidence that Rozier solicited and accepted a bribe, and that more charges are forthcoming, according to multiple reports.

When Fairley’s colleges case was transferred to New York, it was assigned to Judge Dora L. Irizarry. But on Tuesday, prosecutors in New York wrote that the NBA and college cases are “presumptively related” and asked that they be assigned to the same judge who is presiding over the NBA case: LaShann DeArcy Hall.

Prosecutors have not said whether Fairley’s plea is related to the allegation that Rozier solicited and accepted a bribe. But when the NBA indictments came down in October, the grand jury described this transaction between Rozier, Rozier’s childhood friend Deniro Laster, Fairley and alleged co-conspirator Shane Hennen:

On or about March 28, 2023, the defendant Marves Fairley traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to collect proceeds from the defendant Shane Hennen from the successful wagers Hennen and his associates placed on the March 23 Game, as well as proceeds from other fraudulent wagers Fairley and Hennen made in connection with the fraudulent wagering scheme.

On or about March 28, 2023, the defendant Deniro Laster also traveled to Philadelphia to collect from Fairley proceeds from the fraudulent wagering scheme relating to the defendant Terry Rozier’s performance in the March 23 Game.

Rozier arranged and paid for Laster’s travel to Philadelphia. In or about and between the late-night hours of March 28, 2023 and the early morning hours of March 29, 2023, Fairley gave Laster tens of thousands of dollars in cash as payment for the non-public information that Laster had obtained from Rozier and had provided to Fairley regarding Rozier’s plan to exit prematurely from the March 23 Game.

After the defendant Deniro Laster collected his cut of the fraudulent wagering scheme proceeds from the defendant Marves Fairley, Laster drove from Philadelphia to the defendant Terry Rozier’s home in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Laster arrived in Charlotte on or about March 30, 2023, and met Rozier at his home that day. During the early morning hours of April 1, 2023, Laster and Rozier counted the money that Laster had obtained from Fairley in Philadelphia.

In December, prosecutors in New York alleged that Rozier was paying Laster’s attorney fees, raising a potential conflict of interest for the attorney, Evan Corcoran. Laster responded by waiving any potential conflict of interest, writing “I recognize that there are risks to a client when an attorney is paid by a third party … I understand these risks and freely choose to accept them.”

Fairley was not the only defendant to decide to plead guilty in the last week. On Tuesday, prosecutors in New York announced that former NBA player Damon Jones has pleaded guilty to profiting off inside NBA information and rigging poker games. Jones and his friend Eric Earnest allegedly sold non-public information to Fairley. Jones’s allegations fall under the same case as Rozier’s, but have not been tied to him.

More College Basketball From Sports Illustrated

Listen to SI’s college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s College YouTube channel.

Add us as a preferred source on Google