Disgraced NBA Referee: "I'm Very Sorry"

Disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy isn't saying much about the betting scandal that brought him down and rocked the league, but he is offering an apology.

"I'm very sorry about what happened," Donaghy told the Daily News on Thursday outside his home in Bradenton, Fla.

"This is an ongoing case — I can't say anything else," he added.

Donaghy pleaded guilty in a Brooklyn court Wednesday to felony charges for taking cash payoffs from gamblers and betting on games he officiated. He was released on $250,000 bond and is set to be sentenced Nov. 9.

Court papers say Donaghy, 40, started placing bets on NBA games in 2003. He later began giving gamblers inside information, including which crews would officiate games and how the various officials and players interacted.

He faces a maximum of 25 years in prison for conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting betting information through interstate commerce. He also must pay a $500,000 fine and at least $30,000 in restitution to the government.

Donaghy and his family had skirted reporters during the weeks leading up to his guilty plea, even covering a glass door to their home with a sheet. But after returning home Thursday, he agreed to be photographed with his daughters and the family dog.