Incredible details about Southern Miss and fixed games found in indictment
Former Southern Miss guard Arlando “Mo” Arnold has been charged in a point-shaving scheme that involves nearly 40 college basketball players, multiple bettors and at least 29 games being influenced according to a federal indictment unsealed Thursday in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Arnold was accused of recruiting two teammates to attempt to fix two games late in the 2024 season in exchange for payment.
According to the documents, Arnold and two teammates were approached by Marves Fairley, Jalen Smith and Antonio Blakeney in late February 2024. The three allegedly agreed to underperform and influence the outcome of an upcoming game against South Alabama.
When that attempt failed, the charges claim the three made another attempt the following game against Louisiana. That attempt succeeded and Arnold was paid “tens of thousands of dollars” for his role.
Arnold would allegedly go on to recruit others, including teammate Victor Hart’s brother Carlos and several members of the next season’s USM team.
Southern Miss was indirectly involved in a third game named in the scheme in Dec. 2024. The Golden Eagles hosted an Alabama State team that had four players allegedly attempting to fix the result in order for USM to cover a 6-point spread, including Shawn Fulcher and Corey Hines.
When halftime arrived and the Hornets were leading USM, one of the bettors who set up the scheme texted the players telling them to allow USM to “Lay it up” and stop playing defense.
One of the players responded by saying USM was “so bad” that they were having difficulties throwing the game, according to the indictment. Southern Miss would pull away and win by 17 points.
Here’s what happened in the two games Arnold and the two teammates, known as “Person #9” and “Person #10,” were charged with fixing.
At South Alabama
In each instance the charges revolved around bets placed on the first-half spread. Sun Belt rival South Alabama was a 1.5-point first-half home favorite on Feb. 28.
According to the documents, bettors placed wagers of at least $275,000 on South Alabama to cover the first-half spread. The wages included parlays with other games, as well.
Arnold entered the game off the bench with 13:22 remaining in the half and the Jaguars holding a slim 11-10 lead. Arnold played for approximately four and a half minutes, during which time USA stretched its lead to five points.
In that window Arnold would take and miss two shots and commit one personal foul. He returned briefly later in the half without recording a stat.
South Alabama led by two minutes in the final seconds, but Golden Eagle Jeffery Armstrong was fouled with only one second remaining on the clock. He hit both free throws, bringing the game to a 36-36 tie and causing the alleged fixers to lose their bets.
Armstrong logged just three minutes in the half.
According to the indictment, Arnold agreed to “make up for the losses” by fixing the following game.
At Louisiana
Southern Miss played its final regular season game on March 1 at the Cajundome against Louisiana.
Fairley, a Mississippi native, and Blakeney made a Facetime call with Arnold and the two unnamed teammates where the trio of Golden Eagles agreed to negatively influence the outcome of the game.
To further their odds of success, Player #9 agreed to sit the game out.
Only two players missed the game. Donovan Ivory had missed the previous five games after suffering a foot injury in mid-February and was not available. The other was the team’s leading scorer, Austin Crowley.
There was no official reason given for Crowley’s absence, and it would be the only game of the season Crowley did not play in.
Louisiana entered the contest favored to lead by five points by halftime. The fixers placed bets of at least $161,000 to cover that spread.
The contest was a classic tale of two halves. The Golden Eagles struggled without their leading scorer and Arnold, who started this game, had an especially difficult time.
He knocked down a three-pointer just 53 seconds into the game. From then, Arnold shot 0-for-3, turned the ball over three times and committed two personal fouls. Southern Miss was outscored by 13 points during the time he was on the court.
Louisiana led 39-23 at the break, easily covering the spread. The Golden Eagles scored 38 points in the second half and Arnold contributed with four points and three assists against zero turnovers.
He wasn’t the only player who improved after halftime. Victor Hart had a team-worst +/- of -19 in the first half. He took five shots and hit just one while committing a pair of fouls in 15 minutes of action.
Hart found his stroke in the second half, hitting four of eight field goals and shooting a perfect 5-for-5 at the free throw line.
Arnold was paid in person by Fairley, per the charges. The indictment alleges Arnold would help recruit Carlos Hart in March and worked with Smith in an attempt to recruit three USM players in December.
Hart and a Privateer teammate were allegedly paid to fix a second round Southland Conference tournament game so that Lamar would win by at least 11 points.
When New Orleans lost by 14, Hart was said to be paid in-person at an unnamed casino in Biloxi.
