July 24, 2008 Prison for 2 linked to disgraced NBA ref

NEW YORK (AP) - Two former classmates of disgraced referee Tim Donaghy will spend over a year in prison for their roles in the betting scandal that rocked the NBA.

James Battista, a professional gambler, was sentenced in New York on Thursday to 15 months in prison for making bets based on inside tips. His co-defendant, Thomas Martino, got a one-year sentence for paying the referee thousands of dollars for the tips.

Both defendants apologized in court on Thursday.

The three men attended high school together in Springfield, Pa.

Donaghy, a resident of Bradenton, Fla., will be sentenced on July 29. He pleaded guilty last year to charges he conspired to engage in wire fraud and transmitted betting information through interstate commerce.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)