Wife of disgraced referee Donaghy files for divorce

[clevfan]

Wife of disgraced referee files for divorce

By MICHAEL A. SCARCELLA
Sarasota Herald Tribune
Sept 7, 2007


LAKEWOOD RANCH -- The wife of disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy filed for divorce Thursday, just weeks after her husband pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges tied to a gambling ring.

Kimberly Donaghy said in court papers that her husband's "voluntary actions" led to a loss of income that adversely affected the family.

The Donaghys, who live in Lakewood Ranch in East Manatee County, were married in May 1995 in Barbados. Kimberly Donaghy is seeking custody of their children, four daughters, ages 6 to 11.

Tim Donaghy, 40, pleaded guilty last month in federal court in New York to charges of conspiracy. He admitted having a gambling addiction, according to news reports.

Federal authorities say Donaghy gave confidential information to gamblers, who in exchange handed over cash. Donaghy quit July 9 after 13 years as a referee.

At a news conference, NBA Commissioner David Stern called Donaghy a "rogue, isolated criminal" whose behavior endangered the credibility of other referees in the league.

Kimberly Donaghy said she wants a judge to decide how to split the proceeds of the sale of the Donaghys' golf-course home in Lakewood Ranch, which recently went on the market for $1.35 million.

Kimberly Donaghy said she wants exclusive use of the home on Dominion Lane in the event she and her husband cannot share the residence during the divorce, according to court papers.

Her Sarasota-based attorney did not immediately return a phone message left by the Herald-Tribune seeking comment.

[(sportman)]

Smart move...

Got to get $$$ out before it gets taken away by authorities.
They can later get together again

[Michael Cash]

What took so long? He's been disgraced for some time

[clevfan]

I would say that the story of the Phoenix girlfriend didn't help the marriage,lol

[Mr Falcone]

"rogue, isolated criminal"

Thats your story Stern, stick to it.........

[Bostongambler]

I was thinking the same thing Clev.

[stevo]

Originally Posted by clevfan

I would say that the story of the Phoenix girlfriend didn't help the marriage,lol

Bingo Cleve and B.G.

Probably the kicker.

[Minnow]

Not many marriages would survive that. Just imagine the stress.. We have had first hand reports that the guy's an asswipe in general.. so here's a woman with an ego-tripping degenerate gambler husband who cheats at his job in a way that has outraged and shamed the world of professional sports, plus having to see if splashed in newspapers that he's out there nailing groupie floozies while she holds down the fort and cares for their 4 daughters. uhhhhh...buh-bye!

[skilled27]

I didn't know NBA refs had groopies. What a great job.

[Mr Falcone]

Originally Posted by skilled27

I didn't know NBA refs had groopies. What a great job.

When you can go 6-1 pickin games, you get groupies...LOL

[Bostongambler]

There are groupies for everything/


They guy the works at the corner shoestore even has them. They are Called Shoe Groupies!!!

[skilled27]

Originally Posted by Mr Falcone

When you can go 6-1 pickin games, you get groupies...LOL

What do you get if you can go 1-6?

[clevfan]

Donaghy's wife files for divorce in Fla. court

By WILLIAM BENDER & JOSEPH SANTOLIQUITO
PHILLY NEWS
SEPT 8

Tim Donaghy lost his high-paying job as an NBA referee, the respect of his colleagues and possibly his freedom.

Now, as he awaits sentencing in federal court for participating in an illegal betting operation, Donaghy might also lose his wife, his Florida home and the custody of his children.

Donaghy's wife, Kimberly, filed for divorce Thursday in Manatee County (Fla.) Court, claiming that their 12-year marriage is "irretrievably broken." She wants alimony, custody of their four girls, ages 6 to 11, and the lion's share of their marital assets.

Kimberly Donaghy says in court papers that her husband's "voluntary actions have resulted in his loss of income" – $260,000 a year, to be exact – as an NBA referee.

The divorce is no surprise to those who knew the Donaghys when they lived in West Chester before moving to Bradenton, Fla., in 2005. They say the marriage had been strained for years.

"It was almost like they lived two separate lives. She nurtured and took care of the kids, while he went around doing his thing," said one source who was close to the couple. "It was pretty much known he had a girlfriend in Arizona. Sometimes he even used to brag about it.

"God bless his wife. She had to be a saint to put up with all of his antics. I know my wife wouldn't have put up with it. I don't know any wife in a mature relationship that would."

The Donaghys were married in 1995 in Barbados.

The woman in Arizona has been identified in published reports as Cheryl Wolfe-Ruiz, the owner of a Phoenix sports bar.

Kimberly Donaghy is requesting a "disproportionate share of the assets based on the actions of [Tim Donaghy] and the manner in which they have impacted the family finances and financial resources for the future," according to court documents.

In addition to child custody, she wants "exclusive use" of their home, which is on the market for $1.35 million, if they are unable to live together during the divorce proceedings.

Donaghy, 40, a Cardinal O'Hara and Villanova graduate who resigned as a referee in July, is free on $250,000 bail as he awaits his Nov. 9 sentencing.

He faces up to 25 years in prison and up to $500,000 in fines on felony charges of conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to transmit gambling information across state lines. He pleaded guilty last month in a Brooklyn, N.Y., court to providing inside information to two bettors from the Philadelphia suburbs.

Even before he was identified as the target of a federal gambling probe, Donaghy was on the outs with the area's other NBA referees, friends of the refs have told the Daily News.

And the divorce was all but a foregone conclusion.

"He acted as if he was a child who never grew up," said a source close to the family. "It was like his wife was raising five kids - their four girls and him."

Donaghy's alleged co-conspirators and high school pals, James Battista, 42, of Phoenixville, and Thomas Martino, 41, of Marcus Hook, were arraigned last month on wire-fraud charges and face up to 20 years in jail, if convicted. The New York grand jury recently was granted a 30-day extension to return with indictments.

According to the criminal complaint against Martino and Battista, Donaghy provided picks on basketball games and received kickbacks of between $2,000 and $5,000 for games he won. Martino was the alleged go-between for Donaghy and Battista, accepting the picks over the phone by code and delivering the cash payments.

Battista intends to plead not guilty, and his attorney, Jack McMahon Jr., wants to put Donaghy on the stand. Martino's attorney has not disclosed how he will plead.

Attorneys for the Donaghys could not be reached yesterday.

[clevfan]

DIVORCING REF'S BAD DARE-BALL

By SAMUEL GOLDSMITH
NY POST


September 9, 2007 -- Disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was shocked last week when his wife filed for divorce - especially after he'd bragged she lacked the guts to send him packing.
"If she knows what's good for her, she'll never try to leave me," Donaghy allegedly told a friend recently. "She says she wants out, and I always say, 'I dare you. I dare you to leave me, bitch!' "

The friend also told The Post that Donaghy fears that his wife will take him to the cleaners in court.

"If anyone is leaving anyone, I'm leaving her," the friend quoted him as saying, "but . . . only when I know she can't get her hands on my money."

When Kim Donaghy finally took him up on his dare Thursday, she demanded a ton of alimony, custody of their four young daughters and "exclusive use" of their $1.35 million Bradenton, Fla., home, The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote yesterday.

According to court documents, she's requesting a "disproportionate share" of the family assets because Donaghy's "voluntary actions have resulted in his loss of income."

He pleaded guilty last month to fixing NBA games and is facing up to 25 years in prison and $500,000 in fines. His dirty tricks have already cost the family his $260,000-a- year salary, $250,000 in bail money and an untold sum in legal bills.

[Dell Dude]

Originally Posted by clevfan

DIVORCING REF'S BAD DARE-BALL

By SAMUEL GOLDSMITH
NY POST


September 9, 2007 -- Disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was shocked last week when his wife filed for divorce - especially after he'd bragged she lacked the guts to send him packing.
"If she knows what's good for her, she'll never try to leave me," Donaghy allegedly told a friend recently. "She says she wants out, and I always say, 'I dare you. I dare you to leave me, bitch!' "

NY Post's take on story. Notice how professional and accurate the other papers were. Then read this one. It is crude, amateurish and probably a made up quote with a non existant source. I hope Rupert Murdoch has a heart attack before he takes control of the Wall Street Journal.

[clevfan]

WIFE HOPE$ OTHER GAL PUTS . . .REF IN PRENUP PERIL

By JANA WINTER and DAN MANGAN
NY POST


September 10, 2007 -- The wife of crooked NBA ref Tim Donaghy - who two years ago denied to her rumors that he had an Arizona girlfriend - was spurred to file for divorce last week after The Post confirmed the other woman's existence, a source said.
Kim Donaghy now believes news of the other woman will help her get a hefty divorce settlement from Tim - despite her having signed a prenuptial agreement 12 years ago, another source said. Kim in the past had tearfully told friends: "I want to leave the bastard, but I can't because of the prenup. If I leave, I get no money unless I have serious proof that he's ruined the marriage," according to that source.

The developments come as Tim Donaghy awaits sentencing on federal gambling-related charges. He last month admitted in Brooklyn federal court to taking money in exchange for feeding gambling buddies inside information about basketball games.

"At some point, maybe two years ago, [Kim] had heard rumors about a girl in Arizona," said a source close to Kim. "He [Tim] was bragging about her to his golf buddies, and I guess one of the wives told her, so she confronted him."

"He convinced her that it wasn't true. He said, 'No, no,' and just kept denying it. And she believed him."

But two weeks ago, The Post revealed Tim had a woman he had called his "girlfriend" in Phoenix - Cheryl Wolfe-Ruiz, a busty, blond sports-bar owner.

That story disclosed that Tim had slept in a hotel room he rented for Wolfe-Ruiz when he traveled to Phoenix for a game, despite the fact that the NBA had rented him another room.

"When the story came out, and she was staring at the face of her husband's girlfriend in The Post, that was it," the source said. "And shortly thereafter, she started filing the papers. It was just too much."

Kim Donaghy filed for divorce last Thursday in Florida, claiming the marriage is "irretrievably broken."

Tim's criminal-defense lawyer, John Lauro, yesterday declined to comment on the divorce and purported prenup agreement. But Lauro angrily denied Tim had ever told a friend that "if she knows what's good for her, she'll never try to leave me . . . she says she wants out and I always say, "I dare you, I dare you to leave me.' "

The Post yesterday quoted a friend of Tim as saying that.

Lauro said, "Those quotes are false . . . Someone for whatever reason is trying to portray Tim in a false light."

A source said Kim long had contemplated divorce but held off on it because she had signed a prenup that shielded Tim's assets.

"Kim would always say, 'I'm a prisoner in the castle.' She was miserable, but couldn't leave because of the prenup," the friend recalled. "If she left him, she wouldn't get any money. She's got four kids she's got to raise. She needed the money, the money was always why she stayed."

"There was that huge picture of this blond, smiley girlfriend in The Post, she certainly had grounds to leave him," Kim's friend said.

"Kim's case is basically proven for her. She knew she had to step up once the story came out. She needs the money and now she'll get it. She's got proof that he cheated on her."

Additional reporting by Samuel Goldsmith in Bradenton, Fla


DOUBLE DRIBBLE: Kim Donaghy (above) filed for divorce from dirty referee Tim Donaghy apparently after seeing this photo of his gal pal, Cheryl Wolfe-Ruiz, in The Post.

[clevfan]

Tim Donaghy being 'unfairly demonized' by wife, lawyer says

NY DAILY NEWS
Monday, September 10th 2007

BRADENTON, Fla. - Disgraced ex-NBA ref Tim Donaghy is being "unfairly demonized" by people falsely claiming he dared his wife to leave him, his lawyer said yesterday.

Donaghy lawyer John Lauro blasted a published report yesterday attributing malicious comments about Kim Donaghy to her soon-to-be ex-husband.

"Those quotes are false," Lauro said. "Those comments never took place."

The report quoted an anonymous source claiming Donaghy has boasted that his wife would never leave him "if she knows what's good for her."

Lauro said the comments credited to Donaghy are bogus. "Clearly there are people out there who have a vested interest in discrediting Tim ... someone is trying to unfairly demonize him," he asserted.

Lauro declined to speculate on who is behind the smears. Since pleading guilty last month to his involvement in an illegal-gambling ring, Donaghy has agreed to help federal prosecutors expose the betting behavior of some of his former hardwood colleagues. Donaghy is hoping his cooperation will earn him leniency when he's sentenced Nov. 9.

Kim Donaghy filed for divorce in a Florida court last week, claiming her 12-year marriage is "irretrievably broken."

Tamer El-Ghobashy

[(sportman)]

He made the right choice with the gal pal.

I'll give him that.

[Bostongambler]

I would of taken the little dog myself.