Ortiz appeared calm in Brooklyn court Tuesday, pleading not guilty to federal betting charges. The judge imposed location monitoring and a gambling ban after citing Ortiz’s foreign ties and access to “significant resources”

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz pleaded not guilty Tuesday afternoon in Brooklyn Federal court to charges alleging he took bribes to manipulate game outcomes as part of an illegal prop betting conspiracy, reportedly “rigging his own pitches.” Ortiz was dressed in jeans and a black leather jacket as he appeared to be relaxed while waiting outside of the courtroom. 

MLB’s Luis Ortiz walking out of court with his wife. He only speaks Spanish, but I still had to ask about possible plea negotiations as the judge brought this up as a topic of discussion for the December 2nd status conference. The videographer in blue was confirmed to be OK after… https://t.co/eGQhh9xIW8 pic.twitter.com/lXPKH0Iwd7

— Lauren Conlin (@conlin_lauren) November 12, 2025

Ortiz entered his plea at 12:15 p.m. ET before Magistrate Judge Joseph Marutollo in the US District Court in Brooklyn. He appeared in court alongside his attorney, Elizabeth Gettys, a Spanish interpreter, and his wife, who currently serves as his only suretor on a $500,000 bond.

Judge Marutollo ordered Ortiz to return to court on November 19 with a second suretor and a property attached to his bond, as only his wife was present. Citing Ortiz’s significant financial resources and close ties to the Dominican Republic, the judge said the pitcher could be considered a flight risk and imposed electronic location monitoring as a precaution, as well as a ban on gambling as part of his release conditions. The government originally did not include the gambling ban as Ortiz has been suspended from the MLB and will not be playing in the near future. Ortiz is also limited to traveling between NY, MA, and OH.

Ortiz was arrested by the FBI on Sunday morning at Boston Logan International Airport after arriving from the Dominican Republic. According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Ortiz and his co-defendant, Emmanuel Clase, are accused of rigging pitch sequences and leaking insider information to help bettors profit off games between May of 2023-June 2025.

Both men face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and illegal sports wagering, along with other related offenses that carry up to 20 years in prison. The indictment, unsealed Sunday, alleges that Ortiz and Clase used encrypted apps and offshore betting accounts to communicate with bettors or co-conspirators in the Dominican Republic and other places. Clase will be arraigned in the EDNY on November 13, and the first status conference is set for December 2, where the Judge noted that discovery and possible plea negotiations could be discussed.

Prior to the arraignment of Ortiz, two defendants in the rigged poker game scandal or “Operation Royal Flush” had bail hearings and remain out on bond. Zhen Hu ($500k bond) and Tony Goodson ($250k bond). Goodson’s attorneys asked Judge Marutollo if his client was permitted to attend a planned family trip to Puerto Rico, to which he was denied.