A pair of additional defendants have entered guilty pleas in the federal case over point-shaving in college basketball in Philadelphia. Roderick Winkler, 32, whom prosecutors describe as a fixer, pleaded guilty on October 26, 2026, the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said.

Former Southern Mississippi guard Arlando Arnold has likewise agreed to plead guilty, according to filings reported by Law360.

The two pleas expand a prosecution that has drawn attention to the integrity of sports betting and, by prosecutors' count, cost sportsbooks upwards of $1.1 million.

What Winkler Admitted

Winkler, who lives in Little Rock, Arkansas, entered his plea before US District Judge Nitza I. Quinones Alejandro to bribery in sporting contests, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud. An indictment charged him in January.

Prosecutors allege Winkler acted as a fixer, working alongside others to find and pay NCAA Division I players to play below their ability and help their teams fail to cover the spread in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. He also helped set up sizable wagers through sportsbooks against the teams whose players had taken money.

Players typically received $10,000 to $30,000 a game, the release said. The fixers looked for players for whom that sum would add substantially to — or surpass — their name, image, and likeness earnings. Winkler could face as much as 45 years behind bars; his sentencing is scheduled for February 8.

Arnold's Role

Arnold was among 20 people named in the indictment unsealed in January. The charges against him included wire fraud, aiding and abetting, bribery in sporting contests, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the Sun Herald reported.

According to that indictment, he was recruited around February 2024, together with two other Southern Miss players, to underperform in a game against South Alabama. He later helped sway a game against Louisiana, the indictment said, and helped bring another player into the scheme.

Coverage of the plea puts Arnold's sentencing on March 29, 2027, and notes that the bribery count carries a maximum of five years in prison, iGaming House reported. Southern Miss's athletic director said in January that the school was disappointed and that the integrity of the game matters to anyone who loves college sports.

The Wider Scheme

The Justice Department says the broader effort to influence games — in the Chinese Basketball Association and in NCAA men's basketball — stretched from about September 2022 to February 2025. Once co-schemers had made money from fixed games in China, they shifted to NCAA matchups.

All told, prosecutors say more than 39 players across over 17 Division I teams fixed or attempted to fix more than 29 games, and fraudulent wagers exceeding $3 million were placed.

Jalen Smith, a trainer described as a leader of the scheme, was the first defendant sentenced. On October 13 a judge handed him 72 months in prison plus about $1.1 million in restitution and $75,000 in forfeiture, the US Attorney's Office said.

What It Means For Betting Integrity

The case illustrates how point-shaving works against the spread instead of the final score, which makes it harder for fans to detect. A bribed player can still win the game even when the bet pays out.

The pleas also keep attention on how licensed sportsbooks and regulators spot unusual betting patterns.

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