Related videos:
The former Cuban Major League Baseball player Yasiel Puig was found guilty in the United States of obstructing justice and lying to federal authorities in a case linked to an illegal gambling operation that ended up affecting the career of one of the most high-profile figures in exiled Cuban baseball.
According to a report published by Los Angeles Times, citing the U.S. Attorney's Office, the verdict was issued by a federal jury in Los Angeles after a weeks-long trial that included testimonies from MLB officials and Donny Kadokawa, a baseball coach from Hawaii who acted as an intermediary for placing bets.
Puig, 35 years old, now faces a possible federal prison sentence of up to 20 years, with his sentencing scheduled for May 26.
According to Los Angeles Times, the case revolves around a network of illegal betting led by Wayne Nix, a former minor league pitcher who pleaded guilty in 2022 to conspiracy to operate an illegal betting business and to filing a false tax return, although he is still awaiting sentencing.
Authorities state that Puig placed at least 900 bets through platforms linked to that operation and incurred losses exceeding $280,000 in 2019, wagering on sports such as tennis, American football, and basketball.
Prosecutors argue that the Cuban lied during an interview with federal investigators in January 2022, when he claimed that he did not know with whom he was gambling, how payments were handled, and what the nature of the business was.
A message on social media that today sounds like an omen
Weeks before the jury found him guilty, Puig had already publicly suggested that he should leave Venezuela to address a legal matter in the United States.
In a social media post dated January 16, the baseball player expressed gratitude for the support he received in that country and made it clear that he needed to travel for an outstanding matter he had been waiting on for some time.
"I have to leave to attend to a matter that I have been waiting for a long time, which is going to help me obtain the justice I have long sought," Puig wrote.
In the same message, he assured that this step was important to "close a chapter with integrity" and look towards his future with hope, adding that he would return soon to continue working with his team. Today, those words take on a new meaning following the decision of the federal jury.
To plead guilty to attempting to “clear his name.”
The case has been particularly striking because Puig initially pleaded guilty in August 2022 for lying to federal agents as part of a plea deal.
However, later on, he changed his strategy and decided to plead not guilty, claiming the existence of "new significant evidence."
“I want to clear my name,” Puig stated in a statement quoted by Los Angeles Times. “I should never have agreed to plead guilty to a crime I did not commit.”
That decision ultimately led to the trial that now puts him in a much more delicate legal situation.
The lawyers of the former player argued during the proceedings that Puig has an education equivalent to a third-grade level and that he also suffers from untreated mental health issues.
They also argued that he did not have his own interpreter or adequate legal counsel during the interview in which he allegedly lied.
According to the report cited by Los Angeles Times, his former lawyer Steven Gebelin testified that Puig attempted to cooperate with investigators, but the interpreter struggled to understand his Spanish.
Nonetheless, the jury accepted the government's argument that Puig deliberately deceived federal agents.
The fall of a star that dazzled in MLB
Puig was for years one of the most explosive figures in Cuban baseball in the United States. He debuted with the Los Angeles Dodgers at 22 and quickly became a media sensation.
The legendary broadcaster Vin Scully nicknamed him the "wild horse" for his aggressive style, spectacular plays, and controversies both on and off the field.
In MLB, he finished with a batting average of .277, hitting 132 home runs and driving in 415 runs over seven seasons, six of which were with the Dodgers. He then played for the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland in 2019 before becoming a free agent.
After leaving the American circuit, he played in the Mexican League and more recently in South Korea with the Kiwoom Heroes.
What’s coming: a sentence and possible imprisonment
The agency AFP reported that Puig could face up to five years in prison for lying to federal agents and up to 10 years for obstruction, in a case arising from the federal investigation launched in 2017 against Nix's betting network.
AFP also indicated that prosecutors maintain that Puig lied during his U.S. naturalization process in 2019 when he denied participating in illegal betting.
Now, as the court prepares to deliver its sentence, Yasiel Puig's future hangs in the balance between the memories of his golden era in Major League Baseball and the weight of a legal case that could forever mark his name.
Filed under: