Washington native among those charged in NBA betting case
A Washington native charged earlier this year was named in an indictment this week in connection with the rigging of bets on NBA games.
Shane Hennen, 31, currently of Las Vegas, faces additional accusations from the Department of Justice that he used inside information to place bets on games.
Hennen was one of six individuals to be named in an indictment unsealed in the Eastern District of New York Thursday. Also facing charges are Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Damon Jones, an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
According to the DOJ, when Rozier played for the Charlotte Hornets he tipped off his friend and co-defendant Deniro Laster that he would leave the March 23, 2023, game early for an injury. The indictment alleges that Hennen used this information to bet the “under” on Rozier’s stats.
Rozier left the game with nine minutes remaining, and the bettors won tens of thousands of dollars in profits.
Hennen was previously arrested at a Las Vegas airport in January on similar charges. Former Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter told a co-conspirator he would leave games early on Jan. 26, 2024, and March 20, 2024.
Porter pleaded guilty in the case and has been banned from the NBA for life.
A press release issued by the DOJ states those charged in the latest indictment will be arraigned at a later date.
According to the DOJ, Hennen faces 20 years of prison for a charge of wire fraud conspiracy and 20 years for a charge of money laundering conspiracy.
Hennen was a graduate of Washington High School, where he played basketball.