Lawyers for the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of New York have indicated that more NBA games may have been tainted as part of the betting scandal that has led to the arrests of Jontay Porter, Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups, and Damon Jones.
Last week, the first defendant in the case was sentenced. Timothy McCormack received a two-year prison sentence for placing wagers on matches involving Porter and Rozier. Prosecutors say there may be more players and games involved in the scandal.
David Berman, an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District, said in court last week, “The government has ongoing investigations.”
He indicated McCormack and others may have used insider information to place bets on other games, adding, “Our understanding is the defendant has conducted himself in similar manners in other instances as well.”
Tipsters Posted Picks Online
Two of the men indicted in the scandal, Shane Hennen and Marves Fairley, have openly posted tips on NBA games, with some coming from insider information acquired from NBA players and coaches.
In the NCAA scandal, the two men also allegedly recruited players to underperform, then placed bets on the affected games. Despite being indicted in two betting investigations, both Hennen and Fairley continue to run their paid tipping subscription services.
We took a look back at their picks during the time federal investigators say NBA games may have been tainted. The two men advertise picks on their Instagram channels, while reserving other “locks” for subscribers.
Fairley’s Vezino Locks charges users $60 a day, while Hennen’s Sugar Shane Wins costs $99 a day.
On Hennen’s channel, the following NBA matches were revealed as picks during the January 2023 to March 2024 period that is being investigated:
| Date | Match | Pick | Result | Pick Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 10, 2024 | Houston Rockets at Sacramento Kings | Houston +6.5 | Houston 112–104 Sacramento |  Won |
| January 21, 2024 | Detroit Pistons at New Orleans Pelicans | Detroit +12.5 | Detroit 112–104 New Orleans | Won |
| January 19, 2024 | Charlotte Hornets at Golden State Warriors | Over 235.5 Total Points | Golden State 136–116 Charlotte | Won |
| January 18, 2024 | Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz | Oklahoma -3 | Oklahoma 134–129 Utah | Won |
| January 15, 2024 | San Antonio Spurs at Atlanta Hawks | Atlanta -8 | Atlanta 109–99 San Antonio | Won |
| January 15, 2024 | Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers | Oklahoma -3 | Los Angeles 112–105 Oklahoma |  Lost |
| January 5, 2024 | Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets | Houston +4 | Minnesota 122–95 Houston | Lost |
| November 9, 2023 | Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers | Indiana to win | Indiana 126–124 Milwaukee | Won |
There are no publicly listed NBA picks from Fairley through his Vezino Locks channel. The Mississippi resident has continued posting content even after his second indictment.
A few weeks ago, he added a video with the title, “Most brands only post wins. We post accountability. This is what happens when standards aren’t met. Vezino Locks isn’t a hobby — it’s a results business.”
Before posting that video, he promoted his channel by informing followers that “I done added an Asian to the staff.” He urged subscribers to “tap in” because “you know how smart they are.”
Matches Already Flagged
Prosecutors have already flagged seven games in which Hennen, Fairley, and others placed bets based on insider information obtained from NBA players or coaches.
In the indictment against the men, the following matches were listed:
| Date | Match | Insider Information | Bet Placed / Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 9, 2023 | Milwaukee Bucks at Los Angeles Lakers | Damon Jones (Lakers assistant) disclosed Lakers player (rumored to be LeBron James) would be out | Bet on Milwaukee to win; Milwaukee won 115–106 |
| March 23, 2023 | Charlotte Hornets at New Orleans Pelicans | Terry Rozier informed bettors he would exit game early | Bets on Rozier “under” stats totaling $200,000+ won |
| March 24, 2023 | Chicago Bulls at Portland Trail Blazers | Chauncey Billups (Portland coach) disclosed several players would sit out | Over $100,000 wagered against Portland; bets yielded major winnings |
| April 6, 2023 | Cleveland Cavaliers at Orlando Magic | Unknown Magic player tip: lineup change expected | $11,000 bet on Cavaliers to cover spread; Cavaliers won by 24 points |
| January 15, 2024 | Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers | Damon Jones disclosed limited minutes for Lakers player (rumored to be Anthony Davis) | $100,000 bet on Oklahoma to win; Oklahoma lost 112–105 |
| January 26, 2024 | Los Angeles Clippers at Toronto Raptors | Jontay Porter would exit early | Bets on Porter “unders”; bets won after Porter exited early |
| March 20, 2024 | Sacramento Kings at Toronto Raptors | Porter would exit early | Bets on Porter “unders”; Porter scored 0 points, bets won |
In the NCAA betting scandal, substantially more matches have been identified. In total, prosecutors listed 27 matches between February 2024 and January 2025 where bettors encouraged players to deliberately underperform to win bets. As with the NBA picks on Hennen’s channel, the bettors did not always win the wagers.
As the investigation continues, more players may be revealed as feeding insider information to gamblers. Malik Beasley’s NBA career has effectively ended after his name was brought into the investigation. The former Detroit Pistons player is now playing basketball in Serbia.
Others who could be dragged into the scandal include the unnamed Orlando Magic player who allegedly shared information about the team’s lineup with Fairley and others ahead of the 2023 game against Cleveland.
The majority of defendants, including Hennen, Fairley, Rozier, Billups, and Jones, have pleaded not guilty to the charges and been released on bail.
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Lawyers for the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of New York have indicated that more NBA games may have been tainted as part of the betting scandal that has led to the arrests of Jontay Porter, Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups, and Damon Jones. Last week, the first defendant in the case was sentenced. Timothy McCormack
The post More NBA Games Under Investigation in Betting Scandal: What Were Indicted Tipsters Backing? appeared first on CasinoBeats.