NBA's Kermit Washington Arrested In Homeland Security Investigation

Ex-NBA All-Star Kermit Washington -- who famously KO'd Rudy Tomjanovich in a game in 1977 -- was arrested by federal agents today as part of an investigation involving Homeland Security, TMZ Sports has learned.

Homeland Security Investigations spokesperson Shawn Neudauer tells us, "Special agents with U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) arrested former NBA player Kermit Washington in Los Angeles on Tuesday morning, on a federal arrest warrant as part of an on-going investigation."

Our sources tell us the arrest -- which went down at an L.A. supermarket -- is connected to an investigation surrounding NFL Hall of Famer Ron Mix ... who pled guilty to 1 count of tax fraud just yesterday.

Officials have said Mix -- who became a workers compensation lawyer after his NFL career -- was involved in a scam where an unidentified person known as "Individual F" would refer pro athletes his way and, in exchange, Mix would make a donation to a charity called "Project Contact Africa."

Officials also claim "Individual F" was using the donations -- $155,000 from Mix alone -- for "his own personal enjoyment and to fund his lifestyle."