Tim Donaghy sentenced for his role in betting scandal. Disgraced ex-NBA ref gets 15 months.
NEWSDAY.COM
Disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was sentenced Tuesday to 1 year and 3 months in prison for his role in a betting scandal that rocked the professional sports world.
Donaghy, 41, pleaded guilty last year to taking cash payoffs and placing bets on games. The gambling scheme covered about 40 games in the 2006 and 2007 seasons and netted Donaghy up to $30,000 a year for game tips, prosecutors said.
In Brooklyn federal court Tuesday, Judge Carol B. Amon announced Donaghy's sentence. Under sentencing guidelines, he faced up to 33 months in prison. He was ordered to surrender to authorities Sept. 23.
Prosecutors had sent a letter to Amon detailing Donaghy's cooperation in the investigation so that the judge could take that into account.
Two Pennsylvania gamblers last week were sentenced for their roles in corrupting the former referee.
James Battista, 42, was sentenced to 15 months in prison and Thomas Martino, 42, got a year and a day.
Amon said both men and Donaghy were liable for $217,000 in restitution to the NBA. Because Amon found the three men had different levels of responsibilities for the amount, their final payouts would individually vary. The NBA had wanted more than $1 million.