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Ex-NBA player Kermit Washington just got denied HARD -- with a judge rejecting his request for early prison release over fears he could catch the 'rona. As we previously reported, the 68-year-old former NBA All-Star is serving 6 years in prison for running a bogus charity scheme in which he stole around $1 MILLION that was supposed to help starving and HIV positive children in Africa. Back in April, Washington filed court docs begging the judge for an early release -- citing health concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ex-NBA star Kermit Washington is begging officials to let him out of prison ASAP, claiming he's at a high risk of catching and dying from COVID-19. 68-year-old Washington -- a former NBA All-Star -- is serving 6 years in prison for running a bogus charity scheme and stealing around $1 MILLION that was supposed to help starving and HIV positive children in Africa. But, Washington fears his incarceration could turn into a death sentence because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Tomjanovich struggled physically and mentally as a result of Washington’s right hand but refused to allow himself to be consumed by bitterness, guilt or frustration. He returned to make the All-Star team when he returned the following season and even teamed with Washington for a book with author John Feinstein called, “The Punch.” “We dealt with that,” Tomjanovich said. “I learned a very, very valuable principle that being angry with somebody else does nothing good for the angry person. It’s like drinking poison and expecting somebody else to get the effects. What happens is you get the effects. That made sense to me, so I got rid of that right away. I didn’t think it was something the guy really thought about. Yeah, I wish he didn’t do it but those things happen. And if I wanted to have a good mental health later, I had to let it go and move on with my life. That was good for me to be grateful for the stuff that was coming my way.”
Former NBA player Kermit Washington has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in charity donations on vacations, shopping sprees and plastic surgery for his girlfriend. The U.S. attorney's office says the 66-year-old Las Vegas man also was ordered Monday to pay nearly $970,000 in restitution. Washington pleaded guilty in November in federal court in Kansas City, Missouri, to making a false statement in a tax return and aggravated identity theft.
Ex-NBA star Kermit Washington was just sentenced to 6 years in prison ... and ordered to pay almost $1 MILLION in restitution for stealing money meant for charity ... TMZ Sports has learned. Washington -- a 66-year-old former NBA All-Star who played for the Lakers and Celtics -- was sentenced by a federal judge in Missouri after pleading guilty to 3 felonies and admitting to scamming people out of huge donations.
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Washington recently pled guilty to fraud charges and faces up to 8 years in prison ... but before that, he was most famous for leveling Rudy T. with a shot doctors said could've killed him. No joke, Tomjanovich suffered a broken jaw and nose, plus a cerebral concussion ... and was leaking spinal fluid into his mouth. Despite all that carnage, when we got him out in Beverly Hills, Rudy told us the brutal shot was water under the bridge and that he actually felt sorry for Washington -- whom he forgave long ago. "I feel sorry for him. I know Kermit. We had made up after that incident and I know he was trying to make it like anybody and I feel for the guy."
Ex-NBA star Kermit Washington is finally admitting he spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in charitable donations on himself ... pleading guilty to 3 felonies in federal court. TMZ Sports broke the story ... Washington -- a former All-Star -- was arrested in May 2016, and accused of orchestrating a fraudulent scheme where he took a large amount of money intended to help Africans in need.
Washington initially pled not guilty, but changed his tune this week ... pleading guilty to aggravated identity theft and 2 counts of filing false income tax returns. As part of the deal, the US Attorney has agreed to not pursue more than 8 years in prison (KW was initially facing 45 years) ... though the sentence is ultimately up to the judge.
Former NBA player Kermit Washington was arraigned Thursday in Kansas City on fraud charges related to an African charity he founded. Defense attorney Robin Fowler entered a not guilty plea for Washington, who was arrested last month in California after a federal grand jury in Kansas City indicted him on charges related to his Project Contact Africa charity. Federal prosecutors say he diverted nearly $500,000 in donations to the charity for his own benefit.
On Thursday, Washington pleaded not guilty to the charges of interfering with internal revenue laws, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, obstruction of justice and aggravated identity theft. Washington, 64, was known for a 1977 on-court incident in which he punched Rudy Tomjanovich during a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houtson Rockets. Tomjanovich was nearly killed by the punch that shattered bones in his face. Some of the charges against Washington are connected to a criminal case involving Ron Mix, a lawyer and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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Former NBA player Kermit Washington was indicted this week by a federal grand jury on charges he evaded taxes and defrauded donors to his charity, according to documents unsealed in federal court on Wednesday.
Washington faces more than 40 years in prison if convicted of the four charges: corrupt interference with the internal revenue laws, conspiring to commit wire fraud, obstruction and aggravated identity theft. He also could be fined up to $1 million.
Former NBA All-Star Kermit Washington joined the Bald Faced Truth radios show (12-3p on 750-AM and 102.9-FM) to talk about his career, Damian Lillard, and why he thinks Jerry Sloan was a better coach than Phil Jackson. "I think Jerry Sloan is a lot better coach than Phil Jackson," Washington said. "...if Phil Jackson was a jockey, he had Secretariat to ride. You could have put 50 jockeys on Secretariat and won the Kentucky Derby. He was lucky and Pat Riley was very lucky. Red Auerbach would tell you the same thing... whoever was coaching Bill Russell would have won 10 championships."
Abdul-Jabbar insists that basketball was really what his life had been about all along. He loves it and expects to play, he says, "as long as I keep my mental and physical health." But in December of 1977 he was nearly ready to quit. Just a month after his hand had healed sufficiently for him to return to action, he witnessed yet another violent act when teammate Kermit Washington crushed the face of Houston's Rudy Tomjanovich with a punch. "He was miserable," says Cheryl. "I sent him air-express letters saying, 'Kareem, your career is not a jail sentence.' He felt so sorry for himself it was disgusting."
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