NBA Referee Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Returns

NBA referee Henry Armstrong pleaded guilty Thursday to filing false federal income tax returns.

Armstrong, 55, an official for nine years, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court. Jesse Kersey, an NBA referee for 24 years, and nine-year veteran George Toliver previously have pleaded guilty. Both have resigned.

The NBA said it did not know about Armstrong’s future, Another referee, Mike Mathis of Cincinnati, Ohio, also awaits trial on similar charges. He was suspended with pay pending the outcome.

All four were accused of exchanging first-class airline tickets supplied by the league for cheaper seats, then keeping the difference without reporting the gain as income.

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A judge rejected Marv Albert’s claim that sex charges against him should be dismissed because a member of the grand jury that indicted him managed the prosecutor’s election campaign.

Arlington (Va.) Circuit Judge Benjamin N.A. Kendrick also rejected a defense motion to throw out the case because prosecutors made public DNA evidence linking Albert to the Feb. 12 hotel room incident.

Pro Basketball

Free-agent guard Hubert Davis joined his third NBA team in as many seasons when he signed a six-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks worth a reported $4.5 million. . . . Free-agent forward Terry Cummings, 36, has signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. . . . The Utah Jazz signed Nate Erdmann, a second-round draft pick from Oklahoma. . . . Seattle SuperSonic all-star forward Detlef Schrempf underwent surgery to repair a broken bone in his left hand and will be sidelined for most of training camp.

Hockey

The Philadelphia Flyers signed defenseman Chris Joseph to a one-year contract. Joseph, 28, had three goals and 13 assists last season with the Vancouver Canucks. . . . Defensemen Scott Lachance and Doug Houda agreed to contract terms with the New York Islanders.

Miscellany

The Blades are withdrawing from Roller Hockey International after five seasons in Los Angeles.

General Manager Tim Ryan wouldn’t say whether the Blades were losing money, but he indicated that owners Jerry and Jeanie Buss believed the league was poorly managed.

“From that standpoint, we opted not to go forward in this league,” Ryan said.

The Blades averaged 4,538 per game this season, including a league-high 11,717 July 31 against the Bullfrogs.

Ryan left the door open for possible future in-line ventures. But the decision is seen as a major blow to the foundering 5-year-old league, which has been engulfed in petty feuding among owners, the loss of a national television contract and no clear marketing direction.

The league dropped from a high of 19 teams in 1995 to 10 last season. One went bankrupt the week before the season began and was run by the league. Sacramento, owned by league President Larry King, played in a dusty outdoor rodeo arena at the state fairgrounds in order to cut costs.

Bullfrog President and CEO Stuart Silver said he will pursue putting a professional in-line hockey team in Los Angeles.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee said she will end her career next year with a farewell tour that will conclude in the United States with the Goodwill Games in July.

The Romanian women and the Chinese men won their third consecutive titles in the World Gymnastics championships at Lausanne, Switzerland.

The top British crew at the World Rowing championships will compete Saturday at Lac d’Aiguebelette, France, at the time of Princess Diana’s funeral. “Yes, it is a very difficult situation,” said Steve Redgrave, a four-time Olympic gold medalist. “Obviously, we will carry on up to our capabilities, but our thoughts and hearts will be what is going on as well.”

Bob Keselowski passed Jay Sauter with 29 laps remaining at Richmond, Va., and went on to his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory.

A 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of trying to blow up the “Pegasus and Man” statue that’s being used as the symbol for Stockholm’s bid for the 2004 Olympics, police said.

Trace Worthington, 27, a former World Cup champion and world championship aerials gold medalist who has been hobbled for two years by vertigo, retired from international ski competition.

The Oakland Coliseum will be renamed the Umax Coliseum after a Taiwanese computer company.