Russell Otis was charged with four more felony counts Wednesday as the Los Angeles district attorney's office broadened the scope of its case against the Compton Dominguez High boys' basketball coach, who is on leave.
The new counts allege that Otis misappropriated a $15,000 check from Nike to the Compton Unified School District, depositing the money into his personal bank account in November 2007.
Two charges of commercial burglary and one each of grand theft and forgery have been added to existing felony complaints against Otis related to his allegedly making unwanted sexual advances to a male former student. Otis pleaded not guilty to those charges last week.
Otis' attorney, Leonard Levine, acknowledged that Otis, 46, deposited the Nike funds into a personal account but said the coach used "every dollar he received . . . for the basketball team."
Otis is due in court Tuesday for arraignment, and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
-- Lance Pugmire
Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Norm Nixon has been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in Marina del Rey.
Nixon's vehicle was spotted late Monday without a front license plate, and officers smelled alcohol during the stop, authorities said.
Nixon, 53, an analyst for Fox Sports West, was released on $5,000 bail.
BASEBALL
Boone to have surgery
Aaron Boone of the Houston Astros will have open-heart surgery to replace an aortic valve. Boone said he has known about his heart condition since college, but tests after his routine physical determined he needed surgery.
The Chicago Cubs probably will remain under the ownership of Tribune Co. through the early part of the season. Cubs Chairman Crane Kenney said that it "will be a challenge" to complete the sale of the team by opening day April 6 and that talks between the Ricketts family and Tribune, which also owns The Times, are ongoing.
Left-hander Tom Gorzelanny, one of the Pittsburgh Pirates' top two starters at the start of last season, was optioned to triple-A Indianapolis. The Pirates were unhappy with Gorzelanny's lack of progress coming off a season in which he was 6-9 with a 6.66 earned-run average.
FOOTBALL
Warner's hip repaired
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his left hip.
The team said that the operation to repair a torn labrum and "clean up some loose fragments" was performed Tuesday by Dr. Marc Philippon at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colo.
