NBA ref pleads guilty
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Tim Donaghy, the fired National Basketball Association referee at the center of a betting scandal, this week pleaded guilty to wagering on basketball games, including games that he officiated. He also admitted that he passed inside information to unnamed associates who were part of a betting ring. The information included reports on undisclosed player injuries and the antagonistic relationships between some players and referees. Donaghy, who is cooperating with league and federal investigators, told the court he had a gambling problem and was receiving treatment for it. Members of the Gambino crime family had reportedly learned of his gambling problem and used it to pry information from him. Donaghy faces up to 25 years in prison.
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