Attorney wants probe of referee in Suns games
Michael Kiefer
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 15, 2007 04:25 PM
Former NBA referee
Tim Donaghy, who pleaded guilty to gambling-related charges in federal court Wednesday, may also face charges in Maricopa County if investigations by the basketball league or the FBI reveal that he deliberately miscalled two Phoenix Suns playoff games earlier this year.
Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas on Wednesday sent letters to NBA Commissioner David Stern and to the head of the FBI in Washington, DC, asking that his office be given any and all information about Donaghy's handling of the two Suns games that he officiated. Thomas wants to know whether Donaghy gambled on the games, provided inside information to gamblers or helped determine the outcome by making bad officiating calls.
In federal court in New York, Donaghy pleaded guilty to felony counts of conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting wagering information through interstate commerce. He was released on $250,000 bond. He faces up to 25 years in prison.
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In his letters, Thomas stated that Donaghy might have also broken Arizona state law.
"Specifically it has been reported that Mr. Donaghy refereed playoff series games between the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers on April 29, 2007, and the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs on May 12, 2007," Thomas wrote.
"If Mr. Donaghy purposely failed to officiate the games properly, and his conduct resulted in changing the outcome of games, such conduct might have violated various Arizona criminal statutes and could be the subject of criminal prosecution."
The Suns played both of the games on the road, including the match-up against San Antonio in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. The Spurs won, 108-101.
Thomas did not comment on the letters, but Special Assistant County Attorney Barnett Lotstein said that the state's "long arm statute" allows the county to prosecute in such cases.
"If any element of the crime happened in our county, we have jurisdiction," Lotstein said.
Those elements would include the planning of the crime, even if it took place elsewhere, he said.
Among the possible felony charges are fraudulent schemes and artifices, which carries a possible prison sentence of 3 to 10 years; and bribery of participants in professional or amateur games, which carries a possible prison sentence of 1 to 3 ¾ years.
The latter applies to players, coaches, trainers or referees who try to profit from deliberately influencing the outcome of any sporting event.
