(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-08-17 10:25

NEW YORK - Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty to two felony charges on Wednesday and admitted to providing tips on games he officiated to professional gamblers.

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown (R) has a word with NBA official Tim Donaghy during the first half in Auburn Hills, Michigan, in this April 12, 2006 file photo. Donaghy, the former referee accused of betting on games he officiated, pleaded guilty on August 15, 2007 to two charges, including conspiracy to defraud the National Basketball Association. [AP]

The case has sent shockwaves throughout the National Basketball Association, leaving fans wondering if Donaghy altered the outcome of games because of his financial interest.

Donaghy, 40, faces a maximum prison sentence of 25 years but stands to be sentenced to less time as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors. He was released on $250,000 bail and agreed to forfeit $30,000.

"I was in a unique position to predict the outcome of NBA games," Donaghy told US District Court Judge Carol Amon in Brooklyn federal court. "Some of my picks included games I had been assigned to referee."

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