Los Ángeles.– A federal jury found former Major League Baseball outfielder Yasiel Puig guilty on charges of obstruction of justice and providing false information to federal officials investigating an illegal sports betting ring.
You may be interested in:A positive for cannabis leaves Javier Báez out of the World Baseball Classic
The verdict came after several weeks of trial, in which representatives of Major League Baseball and Donny Kadokawa, a baseball coach in Hawaii, appeared, identified as an intermediary in the bets made by the player. Puig now faces a possible sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison, and sentencing was set for May 26.
Investigation for illegal bets
According to authorities, Puig allegedly placed at least 900 bets through platforms linked to an illegal operation run by Wayne Nix, a former minor league player. In 2022, Nix pleaded guilty to conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business and to filing a false tax return, awaiting sentencing.
Initially, Puig admitted to having lied to federal agents during an investigation and acknowledged losses exceeding $280,000 in 2019, betting on disciplines such as tennis, American football, and basketball. However, he subsequently withdrew his guilty plea, alleging the existence of new relevant evidence and proclaiming his innocence.
Prosecutors maintained that the former player deliberately denied knowing the details of his bets and the identity of the people involved when questioned in January 2022. During the trial, recordings in English of Puig himself were presented, as well as experts who evaluated his cognitive abilities.
Defense Arguments
The defense argued that the player, with a low level of formal education, faced untreated mental health problems and did not have an adequate interpreter or criminal counsel during the interview in which he allegedly lied.
Puig, 35, had a distinguished career in the majors, where he batted .277 with 132 home runs and 415 RBIs in seven seasons, mostly with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was selected to the All-Star Game in 2014 and earned the nickname "The Wild Horse" for his explosive style of play.
After his time with the Dodgers, he also wore the uniforms of the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians before continuing his career in international leagues, including Mexico and South Korea.
Spanish
