Fixer Roderick Winkler Pleads Guilty in NCAA Point-Shaving Scheme That Began With China's CBA, Involved 39 Players and Over $3 Million in Wagers
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — Roderick Winkler, 32, of Little Rock, Arkansas, pleaded guilty on October 26 to bribery in sporting contests, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud for his role as a "fixer" in a scheme to rig NCAA Division I men's basketball games, U.S. Attorney David Metcalf announced. The scheme, which ran from about September 2022 to February 2025, first fixed games in China's Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) before turning to NCAA games, and involved more than 39 players on over 17 teams, more than 29 games, and more than $3 million in fraudulent wagers.
According to court filings, Winkler and other fixers recruited and bribed NCAA players to underperform so their teams failed to cover the point spread, offering bribes usually ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game, then arranged large wagers against those teams through sportsbooks. The fixers targeted players for whom the bribes would meaningfully supplement or exceed their legitimate Name-Image-Likeness compensation, and generally targeted players on underdog teams. Many players accepted. The scheme caused more than $1.1 million in losses to sportsbooks nationwide.
Winkler, who was indicted in January, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro. Sentencing is scheduled for February 8; he faces a maximum of 45 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine. The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia, with assistance from FBI New York and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Louis D. Lappen and Jerome M. Maiatico.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 照片：美国大学篮球比赛场馆 Rupp Arena 比赛现场（经 Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 4.0，资料图）
