Former NBA referee sentenced to prison

NEW YORK, July 29 (UPI) -- Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in New York to 15 months in prison for his role in betting on NBA games.

Donaghy had pleaded guilty to providing information to professional gamblers and betting on games he officiated. He could have been sentenced to 15 months in prison on each charge but U.S. District Judge Carol Bagley Amon ordered the sentences to be served concurrently.

Two Donaghy co-defendants -- James Battista and Thomas Martion -- were sentenced by Amon last week. Battista was sentenced to 15 months in prison and Martion to 12 months and a day.

Donaghy had sought a light sentence because he said he cooperated with federal authorities in the gambling investigation. However, prosecutors claimed much of the former referee's information was unsubstantiated, The New York Times said. No other NBA referees have been implicated in the Donaghy case.