Two Men Linked To Donaghy Get Jail
25/07/2008 05:04
NEW YORK - Two former high school classmates of disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy were both sentenced to more than a year in prison Thursday for their roles in a betting scandal that embarrassed the league.
A federal judge in Brooklyn gave James Battista, a professional gambler and admitted drug addict, 15 months in prison for making bets based on inside tips. Thomas Martino, the scheme's middleman, was sentenced to a year and one day for paying the referee thousands of dollars for the tips.
The men, both 42 and former classmates of Donaghy in Springfield, Pa., apologized before being sentenced.
"I'm not blaming either one of my co-defendants," Battista said. "I made bad choices."
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SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
What’s that old saying, “Birds of a feather flock together?”