College Basketball ‘Fixer’ Pleads Guilty to Bribing Players in NCAA Basketball Point-Shaving Scheme

An Arkansas man pleaded guilty October 26 to federal charges stemming from his role in a scheme to bribe college basketball players to underperform so bettors could profit from wagers against their teams.

Roderick Winkler, 32, of Little Rock, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro to bribery in sporting contests, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He was indicted in January.

Prosecutors described Winkler as a “fixer” who helped recruit, manage and pay NCAA Division I men’s basketball players to participate in point shaving during the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 seasons.

Point shaving involves manipulating a game’s scoring margin to influence whether a team covers the betting spread. A participating team does not necessarily have to lose the game for the scheme to succeed.

According to court filings described by prosecutors, Winkler and other fixers offered players payments generally ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game. They contacted players in person and through social media, text messages and telephone calls.

The fixers generally targeted players on teams expected to lose, seeking their cooperation in ensuring those teams failed to cover the spread. Prosecutors said they also sought players for whom the bribes would substantially supplement or exceed their legitimate name, image and likeness compensation opportunities.

Winkler helped arrange large wagers through sportsbooks against teams whose players had been bribed, according to the release.

The broader scheme ran approximately from September 2022 through February 2025. Prosecutors said participants initially profited from fixing Chinese Basketball Association games before turning their attention to NCAA basketball.

Across the NCAA portion of the operation, prosecutors reported that more than 39 players on more than 17 Division I teams participated in fixing or attempting to fix more than 29 games. Authorities attributed more than $3 million in fraudulent wagers and more than $1.1 million in sportsbook losses to the scheme.

Those figures describe the overall operation, rather than solely Winkler’s individual activity.

Winkler is scheduled to be sentenced February 8. Prosecutors said he faces a maximum possible sentence of 45 years in prison, along with three years of supervised release and a fine. The statutory maximum does not establish the sentence he will receive.

FBI Philadelphia investigated the case with assistance from FBI New York and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Louis D. Lappen and Jerome M. Maiatico are prosecuting it.