AZCentral: Donaghy surrenders

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

I just got a text message from AZCentral saying

Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy surrenders in NYC

Now, everyone and their dog is saying he is expected to plead guilty. Nothing has said anything about him surrendering or that he already has pled guilty today.

I guess im confused in the difference between surrendering and pleading guilty.

my assumption is the plea would then lead to a deal being made about a confession and negotiations on sentencing/fines/etc

surrendering would mean he gives himself up to the law and is put under arrest, meaning law enforcement would have to go through extra hoops in a plea deal?

I cant find anything on azcentrals website saying he surrendered, so not sure wtf is going on...


Thoughts?

 

[fordronken]

He has to be arrested and charged before he can go to court and enter a plea. He's turning himself in this morning and, in all likelihood, pleading guilty to pre-arranged charges.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

I really wonder if we will ever get a list of games he admitted to betting on/fixing. In all likelihood that may never sprout up if he claims he cant remember or wont give a partial list as part of his plea.

More importantly, do you think vegas has odds on different games throughout the last two seasons you can bet that he fixed?

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/index

first video on mini player

pled guilty

potential 25-year jail term (wont even be close)

no info about bail

 

[azirish]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2975532

Donaghy pleads guilty, could face up to 25 years in prison

Associated Press
Updated: August 15, 2007, 11:45 AM ET
NEW YORK -- Former referee Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty to two felony charges Wednesday in an NBA betting scandal that rocked the league and raised questions about the integrity of games.

Donaghy faces a maximum of 25 years in prison when he is sentenced for conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting wagering information through interstate commerce.

Donaghy provided recommendations, called "picks," to co-conspirators about what team they should bet on, said U.S. District Court Judge Carol Bagley Amon. If he was correct, they paid him.

The picks included information about games that Donaghy officiated, the government said.

The information was not public, the judge said. Donaghy had "unique access," including what crews would officiate at games, the interaction of different officials and players, and the physical condition of certain players.

He concealed the scheme from the NBA and other referees to avoid detection, the judge said.

Donaghy also must pay a $500,000 fine and at least $30,000 in restitution.

Donaghy, who stood ramrod-straight, hands clasped in front of him, spoke in nearly inaudible tones as he told the judge that he is seeing a psychiatrist for his gambling addiction, and is taking an antidepressant and anxiety medication.

Prosecutors said in open court that Donaghy bet on games himself; but that was not a specific part of the verbal admission he made before the judge.

The two alleged co-conspirators were in the custody of federal marshals on Wednesday and were awaiting arraignment on conspiracy charges carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years.

The FBI first contacted the NBA on June 20 to talk about a referee alleged to be gambling on games, and the two sides met on June 21, NBA commissioner David Stern said last month. Donaghy resigned July 9 after 13 years as a referee; Stern said he would have fired him sooner but was told it might affect the investigation.

Stern blamed a "rogue, isolated criminal" for the betting scandal that threatened the credibility of every referee.

Donaghy was rated in the top tier of officials, Stern said, and there was nothing suspicious about the frequency of his foul calls. He was assigned to work in the second round of the playoffs, with his last NBA game coming during the Phoenix-San Antonio Western Conference semifinal series.

No other NBA officials or players were expected to be involved in the scandal, which Stern called the "most serious situation and worst situation that I have ever experienced either as a fan of the NBA, a lawyer for the NBA or a commissioner of the NBA."

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

 

[scotsman13]

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0815072donaghy1.html

wow this guy was paid to give the mob right picks on games. $5000 to insure that your pick wins. i think you can count out about every single game that he touched as being tainted. and because the FBI fills their cases only on the things that they are sure that they can get a conviction on, this maybe only the tip of the iceburg.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

yes, the fbi usually will only indict when the case is a slam dunk, but that is in no way a count on every single game he reffed as being tainted

 

[azirish]

The knowledge about ref combinations is a real sleeper. No specific calls are at issue, but just knowing the Crawford is doing a Spurs game has to mean something.

 

[Cheesebeef]

i'd really like to know if Game 3 was one of those games. I wonder if we ever find out about what games were and were not tainted. I'm thinking David Stern does EVERYTHING in his power (whatever that may be) to have that info kept quiet. Talk about a real * next to a championship.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

i'd really like to know if Game 3 was one of those games. I wonder if we ever find out about what games were and were not tainted. I'm thinking David Stern does EVERYTHING in his power (whatever that may be) to have that info kept quiet. Talk about a real * next to a championship.

Supposedly he stopped April 30th.

 

[justAndy]

I heard audio on a local sports station - Game 3 national announcer wondering just what the hell Donaghy was calling on Amare early that game.
Spurs honks keep saying "Phx fans whining" - I don't think national announcer - forget who - had any rooting interest for the Suns.
*indeed....

 

[az1965]

Did anyone catch a little blurb in that video about him passing on information which referees are going to officiate a game, their whistle blowing tendenices, and their relationships with certain players!!!

This is really really disturbing and while other referees might not be involved in the betting scam, this does prove the biases fans and teams have been complaining about.

 

[Errntknght]

Isn't the information public ahead of time about which refs are working which games? The reason I suspect so is that the Vegas gambling websites have the referees history regarding home WL pct., average point spread and average point total. Not much point in the data if the bettors can't find out who is reffing a game ahead of time.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Isn't the information public ahead of time about which refs are working which games? The reason I suspect so is that the Vegas gambling websites have the referees history regarding home WL pct., average point spread and average point total. Not much point in the data if the bettors can't find out who is reffing a game ahead of time.

No, it is confidential and privileged information

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

From az rep

Donaghy received 1 payment in Phoenix

Associated Press
Aug. 15, 2007 11:13 PM
Tim Donaghy, the disgraced former NBA referee, pleaded guilty Wednesday to giving inside information to gamblers and taking payments when his information was right.

Thomas Martino, one of Donaghy's alleged co-conspirators, is accused of delivering payments to Donaghy in Phoenix in January, Toronto in March, and Washington in April. Donaghy was in those cities to officiate games, though it is not known if he was paid specifically for those games. A look at the games he worked in those locations:

Jan. 5: Suns 108, Heat 80 - Phoenix opens as an 18-point favorite and cruises against a Miami team playing without Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O'Neal and coach Pat Riley. Heat starting guard Jason Williams is ejected by referee Gary Zielinski with 9:07 to play after scoring 14 points.

March 11: Raptors 120, SuperSonics 119, OT - Favored by 5 1/2, the Raptors rally to force overtime by outscoring Seattle 35-28 in the fourth quarter. With the teams combining for 90 points in the final 17 minutes, they easily surpass the over/under that had opened at 202 1/2 and moved to 204.

April 10: Nets 96, Wizards 92 - Favored by three points, the Nets held on against a Washington team missing Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler when DeShawn Stevenson drove the lane twice in the final minute and didn't draw a foul either time. The officiating crew of Donaghy, Joe Forte and Sean Wright had made plenty of calls before that: The ragged game included 54 fouls and 64 free throws.