Tim Donaghy
Encyclopedia
Tim Donaghy is a former professional basketball referee
who worked in the National Basketball Association
(NBA) for 13 seasons, from 1994 to 2007. During his career in the NBA, Donaghy officiated in 772 regular season games and 20 playoff games. Donaghy resigned from the league on July 9, 2007 before reports of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) for allegations that he bet on games that he officiated during his last two seasons and that he made calls affecting the point spread in those games. On August 15, 2007, Donaghy pleaded guilty to two federal charges related to the investigation. However, he could face more charges at the state level if it is determined that he deliberately miscalled individual games. Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison
on July 29, 2008. He served 11 months in a federal prison camp in Pensacola, Florida
to spend the remainder of his sentence in a halfway house
, but was sent back to prison in August for violating his release terms. He was released on November 4, 2009 after serving out his sentence.
, which is a suburb of Philadelphia, Donaghy attended Cardinal O'Hara High School
in Springfield, Pennsylvania
along with three other NBA referees Joe Crawford
, Mike Callahan, and Ed Malloy. Following high school, Donaghy graduated from Villanova University
with a degree in sales and marketing in 1989. While at Villanova, he played on the school's baseball team. According to the National Basketball Referee's Association, Donaghy participated and earned All-Catholic and All-Delaware County honors in baseball
and All-Delaware County honors in basketball during high school, but then–Villanova baseball coach George Bennett contends that Donaghy did not play on the varsity team and that no records indicate that he was selected to the All-Catholic team in baseball or named to the All-Delaware County basketball team. Donaghy was married to his wife Kimberly, with whom he had four daughters, for 12 years before they divorced.
high school games, seven seasons in the Continental Basketball Association
(CBA), and was the head official for the 1993 CBA All-Star Game. The following year, he joined the NBA, where he worked for 13 years, officiating in 772 regular-season games and 20 playoff games. Donaghy was a participant in the NBA's Read to Achieve program, for which he participated in an event at the Universal Charter school during the 2002 NBA Finals
. His uniform number was 21.
Donaghy was one of three referees who worked the Pacers–Pistons brawl at The Palace of Auburn Hills
on November 19, 2004, which ended in a fight between Pacers
players and Pistons
fans.
Donaghy was also involved in another controversial incident in 2003, when he called a technical foul
on Rasheed Wallace
, then playing with the Portland Trail Blazers
, for allegedly throwing a ball at another official during a game played at the Rose Garden Arena
in Portland, Oregon
. While Donaghy was leaving the arena, he was confronted by Wallace at the arena's loading dock, where Wallace screamed obscenities at Donaghy. Donaghy claimed that Wallace threatened him, and after an investigation by the NBA, Wallace was suspended seven games. This was the longest suspension issued by the league for an incident not involving violence or drugs.
reported an investigation by the FBI into allegations of an NBA referee betting on games to control the point spread. It was revealed that Donaghy, who has a gambling problem, placed tens of thousands of dollars in bets on games during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 season and had been approached by low-level mob associates to work on a gambling scheme. Mike Missanelli
of The Stephen A. Smith Show
suggested that Donaghy had gotten himself into debt and tried to make it up by betting on games.
The report sent shock waves through the NBA. While the league devotes significant resources to monitor officials' performance, it only found out about the affair when the FBI stumbled upon Donaghy in the midst of a broader organized crime investigation. NBA Commissioner David Stern
said in a statement, "We would like to assure our fans that no amount of effort, time or personnel is being spared to assist in this investigation, to bring to justice an individual who has betrayed the most sacred trust in professional sports, and to take the necessary steps to protect against this ever happening again." He called the scandal a "wakeup call that says you can't be complacent".
Sports gambling expert R. J. Bell, president of sports betting information site Pregame.com, tracked every game Donaghy worked from 2003 to 2007. He discovered that during the two seasons investigated by the NBA, the teams involved scored more points than expected by the Las Vegas sports books 57 percent of the time. In the previous two seasons, this only happened 44 percent of the time. According to Bell, the odds of such a discrepancy are 1 in 1,000, and there was "a 99.9 percent chance that these results would not have happened without an outside factor". He also found 10 straight games in 2007 in which Donaghy worked the game that the point spread moved 1.5 points or more before the tip—an indication that big money had been wagered on the game. The big money won every time—another indication that "something (was) going on". However, Bell suggested that there was no way anyone who wasn't in on the fix could have known that something was amiss about Donaghy's actions during a game; he said it would have been another year at the earliest before anyone could have caught on.
Handicapper Brandon Lang told ESPN that it is fairly easy for a crooked sports official to fix a game, despite Stern's insistence that Donaghy was a "rogue official". According to Lang, an official can directly influence the outcome of a game 75 percent of the time if he has money on the game. Lang also believed that a bookie connected to the mob turned Donaghy in to the FBI.
On July 27, U.S. Congressman
Bobby Rush
of Illinois
, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee
, asked to meet with Stern regarding the Donaghy matter. In a letter to Stern, Rush indicated that he might call a hearing "should the facts warrant public scrutiny." He also said that the affair could potentially be "one of the most damaging scandals in the history of American sports".
Earlier in the day, federal sources told the New York Daily News
that Donaghy would surrender to the FBI and pleaded guilty to gambling charges. The Daily News also learned that the bookies in the scandal were two high school classmates of Donaghy's who embellished their mob ties. The Daily News reported that at his friends' request, Donaghy passed word about the crews working the games they planned to bet on. The Associated Press
identified one of the men as James Battista, former owner of a sports bar in Havertown, Pennsylvania
; a Philadelphia suburb. Battista's lawyer told the AP that his client expected to be indicted.
At his home in Bradenton, Donaghy did not initially comment on his situation. He reportedly claimed to be "the butler" to visiting reporters and turned his sprinklers on a freelance photographer for the New York Times when he got too close. His wife (at the time), Kimberly, passed a note to reporters telling them not to bother asking them any questions.
On August 15, Donaghy appeared in a Brooklyn
federal court and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in wire fraud
and transmitting wagering information through interstate commerce. Donaghy told U.S. District Judge Carol Bagley Amon
that he used coded language to tip Battista about players' physical condition and player/referee relations. In doing so, Donaghy disclosed classified information that he obtained as an NBA referee. Donaghy initially received $2,000 per correct pick, but his calls were so accurate that Battista increased his take to $5,000. In total, he received $30,000 to pass inside information to the bookies. Another high school friend of Donaghy's, Thomas Martino, acted as the middle man. Donaghy also admitted that he had a severe gambling addiction, for which he was taking antidepressants.
Donaghy specifically admitted to passing information about two games during the 2006–07 season. Prosecutors also said that Donaghy bet on games himself. Donaghy was fined $500,000, and will also have to pay at least $30,000 in restitution. ESPN legal analyst Lester Munson believes that Battista is one of the FBI's prime targets, based on the large amounts of money he bet.
Donaghy was released on a $250,000 bond and awaited sentencing on January 25, 2008. On June 19, 2008, the NBA filed a demand that Donaghy reimburse the league for the costs of his airfare and meals, complimentary game tickets, and other expenses, including $750 in shoes. Donaghy's lawyer said that this was the league trying to retaliate against Donaghy for his misconduct. A judge delayed sentencing to allow for more time to decide how much restitution Donaghy and two co-conspirators should pay the NBA for their roles in the betting scandal. The NBA has claimed Donaghy owes it $1.4 million, including $577,000 of his pay and benefits over four seasons, plus hefty legal fees and other expenses related to an internal investigation. His lawyer has argued that the punishment should apply to only one season—a position supported by the government in court papers.
According to the Associated Press, Andrew Thomas, the former county attorney for Maricopa County, Arizona
, asked the NBA and FBI if Donaghy intentionally miscalled two Phoenix Suns
road playoff games. The games in question occurred on April 29, 2007 versus the Los Angeles Lakers
and May 12, 2007 versus the San Antonio Spurs
. In a letter to Stern and FBI director Robert Mueller
, Thomas said that Donaghy's conduct may have violated Arizona criminal law, and could face charges there. Per the United States Supreme Court's decision in Ponzi v. Fessenden, federal plea bargains have no standing regarding state charges.
between the Los Angeles Lakers
and Sacramento Kings
was fixed by two referees. The letter states that Donaghy "learned from Referee A that Referees A and F wanted to extend the series to seven games. Tim knew Referees A and F to be 'company men', always acting in the interest of the NBA, and that night, it was in the NBA's interest to add another game to the series." The Lakers won Game 6, attempting 18 more free throw
s than the Kings in the fourth quarter, and went on to win the 2002 NBA Finals
. The teams were not named, but the Western Conference Finals was the only seven-game series that year. The document claimed that Donaghy told federal agents that to increase television ratings and ticket sales, "top executives of the NBA sought to manipulate games using referees". It also said that NBA officials would tell referees to not call technical foul
s on certain players, and states that a referee was privately reprimanded by the league for ejecting a star player in the first quarter of a January 2000 game. Stern denied the accusations, calling Donaghy a "singing, cooperating witness".
to 15 months in prison for his participation in the gambling scandal. Donaghy could have faced up to 33 months, but Judge Carol Amon reduced his sentence to 15 months (two 15-month terms served concurrently, followed by 3 years of supervised release) in exchange for his cooperation. His lawyer, John Lauro, asked for probation, but the request was denied. Donaghy apologized in court, saying "I brought shame on myself, my family and the profession." Battista and Martino were sentenced earlier that month, earning sentences of 15 months and 366 days, respectively.
s. In addition, all referees had admitted to engaging in some form of gambling. Stern stated that "[the] ban on gambling is absolute, and in my view it is too absolute, too harsh and was not particularly well-enforced over the years". The gambling rules were revised to allow referees to engage in several forms of betting—though not on sports. There were several other referee-related rule changes made: the announcement of referees of a game was moved from 90 minutes before tip-off to the morning of the game, to reduce the value of the information to gamblers; referees received more in-season training and counseling on gambling; more thorough background checks were carried out; the league declared its intention to analyze the statistical relationship between NBA games and referees' gambling patterns for those games; and the interactions between referees and NBA teams were made easier and more formal.
, Donaghy started to write his memoir, Blowing the Whistle: The Culture of Fraud in the NBA. The book was to have covered his NBA career, described his dealings with the "underworld" during the betting scandal and explained how he would determine the winning team in the games he refereed. Donaghy also promised to "discuss the relationship that players, coaches and referees have with each other". The book was due to be published in October 2009. However, Donaghy's publisher, Triumph Books, canceled it because of liability concerns. Pat Berdan, Donaghy's liaison with Triumph, said the book was canceled after the NBA threatened legal action—which the NBA denies. Donaghy found a new publisher, VTi-Group, willing to release the book, which was renamed Personal Foul: A First-Person Account of the Scandal That Rocked the NBA
. The book was released in December 2009.
During his imprisonment, Donaghy was attacked and threatened. In November 2007, a man claiming to be an associate of the New York Mafia
struck Donaghy with a paint roller extension bar, resulting in injuries to his knee and leg which required surgery.
Donaghy was released from prison after serving 11 months and was due to finish his sentence in a recovery house near Tampa, Florida
, where he will be treated for his gambling addiction as mandated by the court. He was arrested and put in the county jail in late August after being caught at a health club without permission when he should have been at work. His lawyer and ex-wife insisted that Donaghy should not have been taken into custody, as he was allowed to visit the center to rehabilitate his injured knee.
On November 4, 2009, Donaghy was released from prison in Hernando County after serving out the remainder of his sentence.
Official (basketball)
In basketball, an official is a person who has the responsibility to enforce the rules and maintain the order of the game. The title of official also applies to the scorers and timekeepers, as well as other personnel that have an active task in maintaining the game...
who worked in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA) for 13 seasons, from 1994 to 2007. During his career in the NBA, Donaghy officiated in 772 regular season games and 20 playoff games. Donaghy resigned from the league on July 9, 2007 before reports of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) for allegations that he bet on games that he officiated during his last two seasons and that he made calls affecting the point spread in those games. On August 15, 2007, Donaghy pleaded guilty to two federal charges related to the investigation. However, he could face more charges at the state level if it is determined that he deliberately miscalled individual games. Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison
Federal prison
Federal prisons are run by national governments in countries where subdivisions of the country also operate prisons.In the United States federal prisons are operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In Canada the Correctional Service of Canada operates federal prisons. Prison sentences in these...
on July 29, 2008. He served 11 months in a federal prison camp in Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
to spend the remainder of his sentence in a halfway house
Halfway house
The purpose of a halfway house, also called a recovery house or sober house, is generally to allow people to begin the process of reintegration with society, while still providing monitoring and support; this is generally believed to reduce the risk of recidivism or relapse when compared to a...
, but was sent back to prison in August for violating his release terms. He was released on November 4, 2009 after serving out his sentence.
Personal
Born in Havertown, PennsylvaniaHavertown, Pennsylvania
Havertown is a residential suburban unincorporated community in Haverford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, approximately 9 miles west of the center of Philadelphia. Havertown's ZIP Code is 19083. Havertown is notable for being the birthplace of Swell Bubble Gum, which closed...
, which is a suburb of Philadelphia, Donaghy attended Cardinal O'Hara High School
Cardinal O'Hara High School
Cardinal O'Hara High School is a coeducational Catholic High School of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The school is named after John Francis O'Hara who was Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1951 to 1960. It is located in Springfield, Pennsylvania and was first opened in September 1963.- Academics...
in Springfield, Pennsylvania
Springfield Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Springfield Township, or simply Springfield, is a township and a Census Designated Place in Delaware County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 23,677 at the 2000 census...
along with three other NBA referees Joe Crawford
Joe Crawford
Joseph "Joey" Crawford has been an American professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association since 1977 and wears the uniform number 17. Crawford is one of the most experienced officials in the NBA and has developed a reputation for being eager to assess technical fouls...
, Mike Callahan, and Ed Malloy. Following high school, Donaghy graduated from Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
with a degree in sales and marketing in 1989. While at Villanova, he played on the school's baseball team. According to the National Basketball Referee's Association, Donaghy participated and earned All-Catholic and All-Delaware County honors in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and All-Delaware County honors in basketball during high school, but then–Villanova baseball coach George Bennett contends that Donaghy did not play on the varsity team and that no records indicate that he was selected to the All-Catholic team in baseball or named to the All-Delaware County basketball team. Donaghy was married to his wife Kimberly, with whom he had four daughters, for 12 years before they divorced.
Officiating career
Before officiating in the NBA, Donaghy spent five years working PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
high school games, seven seasons in the Continental Basketball Association
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
(CBA), and was the head official for the 1993 CBA All-Star Game. The following year, he joined the NBA, where he worked for 13 years, officiating in 772 regular-season games and 20 playoff games. Donaghy was a participant in the NBA's Read to Achieve program, for which he participated in an event at the Universal Charter school during the 2002 NBA Finals
2002 NBA Finals
The 2002 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association championship series for the 2001–02 season. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Los Angeles Lakers, champions of the Western Conference and two-time defending NBA champions, and the New Jersey Nets, champions of the...
. His uniform number was 21.
Donaghy was one of three referees who worked the Pacers–Pistons brawl at The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills, often referred to simply as The Palace, is a sports and entertainment venue in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a suburb on the northern outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1988, it is the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association...
on November 19, 2004, which ended in a fight between Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
players and Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
fans.
Donaghy was also involved in another controversial incident in 2003, when he called a technical foul
Technical foul
In basketball, a technical foul is any infraction of the rules penalized as a foul which does not involve physical contact during the course of play between players on the court, or is a foul by a non-player. The most common technical foul is for unsportsmanlike conduct...
on Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Abdul Wallace is a retired American professional basketball power forward and center who played from 1995 to 2010 in the National Basketball Association...
, then playing with the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
, for allegedly throwing a ball at another official during a game played at the Rose Garden Arena
Rose Garden Arena
Rose Garden, commonly known as the Rose Garden Arena, is the primary indoor sports arena in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is suitable for large indoor events of all sorts, including basketball, ice hockey, rodeos, circuses, conventions, ice shows, concerts, and dramatic productions...
in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. While Donaghy was leaving the arena, he was confronted by Wallace at the arena's loading dock, where Wallace screamed obscenities at Donaghy. Donaghy claimed that Wallace threatened him, and after an investigation by the NBA, Wallace was suspended seven games. This was the longest suspension issued by the league for an incident not involving violence or drugs.
Betting scandal
On July 20, 2007, columnist Murray Weiss of the New York PostNew York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
reported an investigation by the FBI into allegations of an NBA referee betting on games to control the point spread. It was revealed that Donaghy, who has a gambling problem, placed tens of thousands of dollars in bets on games during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 season and had been approached by low-level mob associates to work on a gambling scheme. Mike Missanelli
Mike Missanelli
Mike Missanelli is an American sports radio personality for ESPN affiliate, 97.5 The Fanatic, in Philadelphia.Missanelli began his career in Bristol, Pennsylvania as a newspaper writer, working at the Philadelphia Inquirer and eventually moved over to radio working on-air at 610 WIP and 93.3 WMMR. ...
of The Stephen A. Smith Show
The Stephen A. Smith Show
The Stephen A. Smith Show was a syndicated sports talk radio show hosted by Philadelphia Inquirer writer Stephen A. Smith. Smith had various co-hosts along the way, including Brandon Tierney, Gordon Damer, and Mike Missanelli....
suggested that Donaghy had gotten himself into debt and tried to make it up by betting on games.
The report sent shock waves through the NBA. While the league devotes significant resources to monitor officials' performance, it only found out about the affair when the FBI stumbled upon Donaghy in the midst of a broader organized crime investigation. NBA Commissioner David Stern
David Stern
David Joel Stern is the commissioner of the National Basketball Association. He started with the Association in 1966 as an outside counsel, joined the NBA in 1978 as General Counsel, and became the league's Executive Vice President in 1980. He became Commissioner in 1984 succeeding Larry O'Brien...
said in a statement, "We would like to assure our fans that no amount of effort, time or personnel is being spared to assist in this investigation, to bring to justice an individual who has betrayed the most sacred trust in professional sports, and to take the necessary steps to protect against this ever happening again." He called the scandal a "wakeup call that says you can't be complacent".
Sports gambling expert R. J. Bell, president of sports betting information site Pregame.com, tracked every game Donaghy worked from 2003 to 2007. He discovered that during the two seasons investigated by the NBA, the teams involved scored more points than expected by the Las Vegas sports books 57 percent of the time. In the previous two seasons, this only happened 44 percent of the time. According to Bell, the odds of such a discrepancy are 1 in 1,000, and there was "a 99.9 percent chance that these results would not have happened without an outside factor". He also found 10 straight games in 2007 in which Donaghy worked the game that the point spread moved 1.5 points or more before the tip—an indication that big money had been wagered on the game. The big money won every time—another indication that "something (was) going on". However, Bell suggested that there was no way anyone who wasn't in on the fix could have known that something was amiss about Donaghy's actions during a game; he said it would have been another year at the earliest before anyone could have caught on.
Handicapper Brandon Lang told ESPN that it is fairly easy for a crooked sports official to fix a game, despite Stern's insistence that Donaghy was a "rogue official". According to Lang, an official can directly influence the outcome of a game 75 percent of the time if he has money on the game. Lang also believed that a bookie connected to the mob turned Donaghy in to the FBI.
On July 27, U.S. Congressman
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Bobby Rush
Bobby Rush
Bobby Lee Rush is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district is located principally on the South Side of Chicago. It is a minority-majority district and has a higher percentage of African Americans than any other congressional district in...
of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee
United States House Energy Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection
The House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade is a subcommittee within the Committee on Energy and Commerce. It is chaired by Mary Bono Mack of California's .-Jurisdiction:...
, asked to meet with Stern regarding the Donaghy matter. In a letter to Stern, Rush indicated that he might call a hearing "should the facts warrant public scrutiny." He also said that the affair could potentially be "one of the most damaging scandals in the history of American sports".
Earlier in the day, federal sources told the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
that Donaghy would surrender to the FBI and pleaded guilty to gambling charges. The Daily News also learned that the bookies in the scandal were two high school classmates of Donaghy's who embellished their mob ties. The Daily News reported that at his friends' request, Donaghy passed word about the crews working the games they planned to bet on. The Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
identified one of the men as James Battista, former owner of a sports bar in Havertown, Pennsylvania
Havertown, Pennsylvania
Havertown is a residential suburban unincorporated community in Haverford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, approximately 9 miles west of the center of Philadelphia. Havertown's ZIP Code is 19083. Havertown is notable for being the birthplace of Swell Bubble Gum, which closed...
; a Philadelphia suburb. Battista's lawyer told the AP that his client expected to be indicted.
At his home in Bradenton, Donaghy did not initially comment on his situation. He reportedly claimed to be "the butler" to visiting reporters and turned his sprinklers on a freelance photographer for the New York Times when he got too close. His wife (at the time), Kimberly, passed a note to reporters telling them not to bother asking them any questions.
On August 15, Donaghy appeared in a Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
federal court and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in wire fraud
Wire fraud
Mail and wire fraud is a federal crime in the United States. Together, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341, 1343, and 1346 reach any fraudulent scheme or artifice to intentionally deprive another of property or honest services with a nexus to mail or wire communication....
and transmitting wagering information through interstate commerce. Donaghy told U.S. District Judge Carol Bagley Amon
Carol Bagley Amon
Carol Bagley Amon is the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.Amon was born in Richmond, Virginia. She received a B.S. from College of William and Mary in 1968, then a J.D. from University of Virginia School of Law in 1971. She was a Staff attorney...
that he used coded language to tip Battista about players' physical condition and player/referee relations. In doing so, Donaghy disclosed classified information that he obtained as an NBA referee. Donaghy initially received $2,000 per correct pick, but his calls were so accurate that Battista increased his take to $5,000. In total, he received $30,000 to pass inside information to the bookies. Another high school friend of Donaghy's, Thomas Martino, acted as the middle man. Donaghy also admitted that he had a severe gambling addiction, for which he was taking antidepressants.
Donaghy specifically admitted to passing information about two games during the 2006–07 season. Prosecutors also said that Donaghy bet on games himself. Donaghy was fined $500,000, and will also have to pay at least $30,000 in restitution. ESPN legal analyst Lester Munson believes that Battista is one of the FBI's prime targets, based on the large amounts of money he bet.
Donaghy was released on a $250,000 bond and awaited sentencing on January 25, 2008. On June 19, 2008, the NBA filed a demand that Donaghy reimburse the league for the costs of his airfare and meals, complimentary game tickets, and other expenses, including $750 in shoes. Donaghy's lawyer said that this was the league trying to retaliate against Donaghy for his misconduct. A judge delayed sentencing to allow for more time to decide how much restitution Donaghy and two co-conspirators should pay the NBA for their roles in the betting scandal. The NBA has claimed Donaghy owes it $1.4 million, including $577,000 of his pay and benefits over four seasons, plus hefty legal fees and other expenses related to an internal investigation. His lawyer has argued that the punishment should apply to only one season—a position supported by the government in court papers.
According to the Associated Press, Andrew Thomas, the former county attorney for Maricopa County, Arizona
Maricopa County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*73.0% White*5.0% Black*2.1% Native American*3.5% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.5% Two or more races*12.7% Other races*29.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, asked the NBA and FBI if Donaghy intentionally miscalled two Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
road playoff games. The games in question occurred on April 29, 2007 versus the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and May 12, 2007 versus the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
. In a letter to Stern and FBI director Robert Mueller
Robert Mueller
Robert Swan Mueller III is the 6th and current Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation .-Early life:...
, Thomas said that Donaghy's conduct may have violated Arizona criminal law, and could face charges there. Per the United States Supreme Court's decision in Ponzi v. Fessenden, federal plea bargains have no standing regarding state charges.
Allegations against the NBA
On June 10, 2008, Donaghy's attorney filed a court document alleging, among other things, that Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals2002 NBA Playoffs
The 2002 NBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2001–02 season. This would be the final postseason that held a best-of-5 first-round series; next year's postseason would see those series expanded to a best-of-7 format...
between the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
was fixed by two referees. The letter states that Donaghy "learned from Referee A that Referees A and F wanted to extend the series to seven games. Tim knew Referees A and F to be 'company men', always acting in the interest of the NBA, and that night, it was in the NBA's interest to add another game to the series." The Lakers won Game 6, attempting 18 more free throw
Free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
s than the Kings in the fourth quarter, and went on to win the 2002 NBA Finals
2002 NBA Finals
The 2002 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association championship series for the 2001–02 season. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Los Angeles Lakers, champions of the Western Conference and two-time defending NBA champions, and the New Jersey Nets, champions of the...
. The teams were not named, but the Western Conference Finals was the only seven-game series that year. The document claimed that Donaghy told federal agents that to increase television ratings and ticket sales, "top executives of the NBA sought to manipulate games using referees". It also said that NBA officials would tell referees to not call technical foul
Technical foul
In basketball, a technical foul is any infraction of the rules penalized as a foul which does not involve physical contact during the course of play between players on the court, or is a foul by a non-player. The most common technical foul is for unsportsmanlike conduct...
s on certain players, and states that a referee was privately reprimanded by the league for ejecting a star player in the first quarter of a January 2000 game. Stern denied the accusations, calling Donaghy a "singing, cooperating witness".
Sentencing
On July 29, 2008, Donaghy was sentenced in Brooklyn Federal CourtUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the entirety of Long Island and Staten Island...
to 15 months in prison for his participation in the gambling scandal. Donaghy could have faced up to 33 months, but Judge Carol Amon reduced his sentence to 15 months (two 15-month terms served concurrently, followed by 3 years of supervised release) in exchange for his cooperation. His lawyer, John Lauro, asked for probation, but the request was denied. Donaghy apologized in court, saying "I brought shame on myself, my family and the profession." Battista and Martino were sentenced earlier that month, earning sentences of 15 months and 366 days, respectively.
Effect on the NBA
As a result of the betting scandal, Stern revised the guidelines on the behavior of NBA referees during the Board of Governors' meeting in 2007. Despite the labor agreement for referees, which restricted them from participating in almost all forms of gambling, it was revealed that about half of the NBA's officials had made bets in casinos, albeit not with sportsbookSportsbook
In the United States a sportsbook or a race and sports book is a place where a gambler can wager on various sports competitions, including golf, football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, horse racing, boxing, and mixed martial arts. The method of betting varies with the sport and the type of...
s. In addition, all referees had admitted to engaging in some form of gambling. Stern stated that "[the] ban on gambling is absolute, and in my view it is too absolute, too harsh and was not particularly well-enforced over the years". The gambling rules were revised to allow referees to engage in several forms of betting—though not on sports. There were several other referee-related rule changes made: the announcement of referees of a game was moved from 90 minutes before tip-off to the morning of the game, to reduce the value of the information to gamblers; referees received more in-season training and counseling on gambling; more thorough background checks were carried out; the league declared its intention to analyze the statistical relationship between NBA games and referees' gambling patterns for those games; and the interactions between referees and NBA teams were made easier and more formal.
Post-sentencing
In the federal prison camp in Pensacola, FloridaPensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
, Donaghy started to write his memoir, Blowing the Whistle: The Culture of Fraud in the NBA. The book was to have covered his NBA career, described his dealings with the "underworld" during the betting scandal and explained how he would determine the winning team in the games he refereed. Donaghy also promised to "discuss the relationship that players, coaches and referees have with each other". The book was due to be published in October 2009. However, Donaghy's publisher, Triumph Books, canceled it because of liability concerns. Pat Berdan, Donaghy's liaison with Triumph, said the book was canceled after the NBA threatened legal action—which the NBA denies. Donaghy found a new publisher, VTi-Group, willing to release the book, which was renamed Personal Foul: A First-Person Account of the Scandal That Rocked the NBA
Personal Foul (book)
Personal Foul: A First-Person Account of the Scandal That Rocked the NBA is an autobiography written by former National Basketball Association referee Tim Donaghy and published by Florida-based VTi-Group, Inc. in December, 2009...
. The book was released in December 2009.
During his imprisonment, Donaghy was attacked and threatened. In November 2007, a man claiming to be an associate of the New York Mafia
American Mafia
The American Mafia , is an Italian-American criminal society. Much like the Sicilian Mafia, the American Mafia has no formal name and is a secret criminal society. Its members usually refer to it as Cosa Nostra or by its English translation "our thing"...
struck Donaghy with a paint roller extension bar, resulting in injuries to his knee and leg which required surgery.
Donaghy was released from prison after serving 11 months and was due to finish his sentence in a recovery house near Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, where he will be treated for his gambling addiction as mandated by the court. He was arrested and put in the county jail in late August after being caught at a health club without permission when he should have been at work. His lawyer and ex-wife insisted that Donaghy should not have been taken into custody, as he was allowed to visit the center to rehabilitate his injured knee.
On November 4, 2009, Donaghy was released from prison in Hernando County after serving out the remainder of his sentence.