Disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy said the leader of a white-power prison gang “saved his life” while he was incarcerated in a federal lockup, a new report says.
Donaghy, who in 2008 was sentenced to 15 months for his role in an NBA gambling scandal, told TMZ that after he was attacked by a fellow inmate, he aligned himself with the leader of the gang for protection.
“It was a matter of me surviving and getting the f–k outta there,” he said.
According to TMZ, Donaghy says he owes his life to the leader, an inmate named “St. Pete.”
“Thank God I teamed up with him. He saved my life. There’s no doubt about it, I never would have survived if it weren’t for St. Pete,” the ex-ref said.
At one point, his new pals wanted Donaghy to get a gang tattoo, but he talked them into letting him shave his head instead, according to TMZ.