Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was attacked in prison by a fellow inmate who claimed he had ties to the New York mob, a spokesman for Donaghy said on Thursday.
The attacker hit Donaghy in the right knee with a stick or club in November at a minimum security federal prison in Pensacola, Pat Zaranek of Executive Prison Consultants said.
Donaghy, who pleaded guilty in New York to conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting betting information through interstate commence, is serving a 15-month sentence.
“Verbally, there was a comment made that they were going to shoot him in the head and break his knee caps,” Zaranek said.
Donaghy is a client of Zaranek’s firm, which advises federal defendants — mostly white collar criminals — on how to cope with prison and make the transition back into society once they are released.
The attack left Donaghy with chronic pain in his knee and in need of surgery, which may not be performed until he is released, Zaranek said.
“He wants to get out for obvious reasons, but he also needs to get the knee fixed,” Zaranek said. “So, he doesn’t want the fixing of the knee to forestall the release.”
Federal Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman Traci Billingsley declined comment.
Donaghy reported to the camp in September. He said he took thousands of dollars from a professional gambler in exchange for insider tips on NBA games, including some he worked.
Zaranek didn’t know the attacker’s name but said he was removed from the camp at Saufley Field, a naval installation, while Donaghy was given protective status.
He said reports on the attack will not be made public until Donaghy is released.
Donaghy, 42, expects to be transferred to a halfway house in Tampa on Wednesday to complete his sentence, Zaranek said.
He is scheduled for release on Oct. 24. Donaghy lived in Bradenton, just south of Tampa, before he went to prison. His wife divorced him after his arrest. They have four daughters.
“He’s very remorseful,” Zaranek said. “He has a rather compelling story, and it rather tragically illustrates the destructive power of addiction to gambling.”
While in prison, Donaghy has begun working on a tell-all book on “how he picked those winners 70 to 80 percent of the time and about the knowledge of the special relationships that exist between referees, players and coaches,” Zaranek said.
“To understand his addiction, what transpired, you have to understand what led up to it during his 13 years in pro basketball and the whole culture of what he perceived as fraud and manipulation in the NBA,” he said.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
After fleeing Sudan when civil war erupted, Al-Hilal captain Mohamed Abdelrahman and his teammates have defied the odds to reach the CAF Champions League quarter-finals. They are today to face title-holders Al-Ahly of Egypt in Cairo, with the return match in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, on Tuesday next week. Al-Hilal and biggest domestic rivals Al-Merrikh relocated to Mauritania after a power struggle broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary force. The civil war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the UN. The Democratic Republic of the Congo-born Al-Hilal
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their