Shane “Sugar Shane” Hennen, 41, entered his plea Wednesday in federal court in Philadelphia to bribery in sports contests, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud. The case involves efforts to recruit players to underperform so bettors could profit, including by betting that teams would not cover the point spread in the first half or the full game.

The scheme involved more than 39 players from 17 Division I teams and fixed or attempted to fix more than 29 games, according to court filings. Prosecutors said the resulting wagers totaled more than $3 million and caused sportsbooks across the country to lose more than $1.1 million.

Hennen is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 25, 2027, in Philadelphia. He faces a maximum possible sentence of 85 years in prison, along with supervised release, fines and restitution; the maximum is not a prediction of the sentence he will receive.

The plea is part of a broader investigation into gamblers accused of paying college players to manipulate games. On Tuesday, Jalen Smith, 30, was sentenced to six years in prison for his role in a scheme during the same seasons. Prosecutors said Smith helped recruit players and place wagers on games they were paid to influence.

Hennen has also pleaded guilty in two other sports-betting cases. In May, he admitted to participating in a New York scheme that used confidential information from NBA players and coaches to place and direct bets. He also pleaded guilty to helping fix games in China’s professional basketball league during the 2022-23 season.

The NCAA and Chinese basketball cases were investigated by the FBI’s Philadelphia office, with assistance from FBI New York and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The NBA betting case was investigated by FBI New York and the New York Police Department.