Former Major League Baseball outfielder Yasiel Puig was convicted on Friday in federal court of obstructing justice and lying to investigators about his involvement in illegal sports betting.
Puig, 35, played six seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers and spent his final MLB season in 2019 with the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians, the year he became a U.S. citizen, News.Az reports, citing AFP.
He later played two seasons in South Korea, including last year with the Kiwoom Heroes, batting .212 with six home runs and 20 RBIs before returning to the United States due to a shoulder injury.
The verdict followed a 13-day trial in Los Angeles linked to a 2017 investigation into an illegal gambling operation run by former minor-league pitcher Wayne Nix. Prosecutors said Puig placed bets through Nix’s operation in May 2019 and owed $282,900 by June.
Evidence showed Puig placed 899 bets between July and September 2019 on tennis, football and basketball via a Costa Rica-based website connected to Nix. In a January 2022 interview with federal agents, conducted by video conference with his lawyer present, Puig denied any knowledge of the gambling business.
Authorities also said Puig falsely stated during his 2019 U.S. naturalization process that he had never gambled illegally. He now faces up to five years in prison for lying to federal agents and up to 10 years for obstruction of justice.
Puig had agreed to a plea deal in August 2022 that included a $55,000 fine, but later withdrew, leading to charges filed in 2023 and the subsequent trial.