A trial within the federal case in opposition to former main league slugger Yasiel Puig began on Tuesday in downtown Los Angeles.
Puig, 35, faces one rely of obstruction of justice and two counts of constructing false statements to federal investigators about his suspected involvement in an unlawful sports activities betting ring. He’s going through a mixed most of 20 years in jail if convicted of all counts.
In response to prosecutors, Puig positioned 899 wagers on sporting occasions — excluding baseball — between Could and September 2019 by means of an affiliate in a enterprise run by former minor league pitcher Wayne Nix. The prosecutors allege that Puig despatched Nix $200,000 to offset a portion of the $282,900 in losses the ballplayer accrued in just some weeks.
Federal investigators questioned Puig about his function within the playing operation in 2022. They allege Puig made false statements to them on a number of events.
Puig initially minimize a take care of prosecutors to shut the case in November 2022, agreeing to plead responsible to at least one rely of mendacity to federal investigators. He opted out of the settlement days later, nevertheless.
“I wish to clear my title,” Puig mentioned on the time. “I by no means ought to have agreed to plead responsible to against the law I didn’t commit.”
Puig burst onto the scene with the Los Angeles Dodgers in June 2013 and was an All-Star in 2014. He spent six of his seven MLB seasons with the Dodgers, batting .277 with an .823 OPS in 861 whole video games with 132 house runs and 415 RBIs. He additionally performed for Cincinnati and Cleveland in 2019.
Puig’s post-MLB profession additionally included two separate stints with El Aguila de Veracruz within the Mexican League and the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO League in South Korea
–Area Degree Media
