NBA referee investigated for illegal betting by the FBI

The FBI is currently investigating a veteran NBA referee for allegations that the ref could have bet on games, including some he officiated.

NBA referee investigated for illegal betting by the FBI An unnamed NBA referee is currently under investigation by the FBI after allegations that he have bet on basketball games in the past two years, including games which he officiated. According to unconfirmed reports, the referee was aware that he is under investigation for illegal betting, and has agreed to step down as early as next week to face charges, at which time his name could become public.

The investigation into illegal betting began recently, after it was discovered that the referee had connections with an organized crime ring, and that the official had a gambling problem, which led to being approached by a low ranking mobster. The Feds are now looking into his games in the past couple of years to find out if he made calls to affect the point spread. According to the reports, the bets placed were in the thousands of dollars, during games from the 05-06 and 06-07 NBA seasons.

The New York Post was the first to catch a whiff of the illegal betting investigation. According to the paper, the NBA Commissioner David Stern is aware of the investigation and has a report about the referee on his desk. The official statement from NBA today was short: "We have been asked by the FBI, with whom we are working closely, not to comment on this matter at this time."

According to the authorities, more arrests are expected to stem from this investigation.

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Published on 07/20/2007