Gambler “Sugar” Shane Hennen, a key figure in three federal investigations involving sports betting and poker fraud, is set to admit guilt in a wire fraud conspiracy tied to manipulated high-stakes poker matchups run by members of the New York Mafia.
At 41, Hennen, who has a history as a drug dealer and pool hustler and transitioned into a social media sports betting influencer, is alleged by prosecutors to have provided covert technology used to fix high-stakes poker games associated with the Gambino and Genovese crime syndicates.
The indictment details that these devices could decipher card values and their sequence, transmitting this data to an external operator, who then communicated it to a player via a “quarterback” using clandestine signals. Prosecutors claim that Hennen also actively participated in these games as part of the cheating conspiracy.
Former NBA Players Involved
These illegal games took place in New York and the Hamptons, where former professional athletes such as Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones were recruited to lend legitimacy. A total of 30 individuals have been charged in connection with this case.
In a separate matter, Hennen is alleged to have played a significant role in a wide-ranging point-shaving scheme that reportedly involved bribing NCAA Division I basketball players and competitors from the Chinese Basketball Association to manipulate game outcomes for betting advantages.
Prosecutors assert that Hennen was a central figure in the operation, tasked with recruiting players and managing bets based on insider information about the fixed games.
He was reportedly part of a group that placed bets on under wagers related to performances involving Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter during a January 2024 matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers and another in March 2024 against the Sacramento Kings.
During these matches, Porter, who received a lifetime ban from the NBA in April 2024 following a federal investigation, informed his associates beforehand that he would leave early due to a claimed injury.
Porter entered a guilty plea in July 2024 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a Brooklyn federal court and is currently awaiting sentencing.
Detained at the Airport
In January 2025, Hennen was apprehended by authorities as he attempted to board a flight to Colombia from Harry Reid International Airport, linked to the Porter case.
Upon his arrest, he had nearly $10,000 in cash and multiple mobile devices. Hennen claimed he was traveling to Colombia for dental procedures.
Hennen has declared his innocence in both the Porter betting case and the point-shaving investigations, which are still ongoing.