Hennen, also known as “Sugar,” admitted to bribery in sporting contests, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud. He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges involving wire fraud and money laundering, according to the Justice Department.

One scheme began around September 2022, when Hennen and others recruited players in China’s professional basketball league to manipulate games during the 2022-23 season. Prosecutors said Hennen placed bets on fixed games and arranged for others to place large wagers. The group later used a similar approach to recruit players on NCAA Division I men’s teams during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.

More than 39 players from at least 17 college teams were involved in fixing at least 29 games, officials said. The scheme generated more than $3 million in fraudulent bets, while sportsbooks lost more than $1.1 million.

Hennen was also charged in a separate case involving alleged use of confidential information about NBA games to place bets. Prosecutors said that between December 2022 and March 2024, defendants obtained information from players and coaches and passed it to bettors, who placed wagers through online and retail sportsbooks.

In one alleged episode, former Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier told a friend he planned to leave a March 2023 game early because of an injury. The indictment says Hennen and others used the information to place or direct more than $200,000 in bets predicting Rozier would fall short of statistical targets. Rozier left after nine minutes, and the wagers produced tens of thousands of dollars in profits, investigators said. These details were allegations in the case against the other defendants.

The indictment also alleged that Hennen received information about two Toronto Raptors games in 2024 from former player Jontay Porter, who prosecutors say planned to leave early. Hennen allegedly relayed the information and bet through people placing wagers on his behalf.

Hennen was among 31 defendants charged in a separate alleged scheme involving rigged poker games in New York and other states. The case also named former NBA player Damon Jones, former player and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, and people prosecutors linked to organized crime families.

Hennen is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 27, 2027. He could face up to 85 years in prison, along with supervised release, a fine and restitution, though the maximum penalty is not a prediction of the sentence he will receive.