Yasiel Puig Illegal Gambling Case Begins, Could Lead To 20 Years In Jail
Sep 18, 2019; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians right fielder Yasiel Puig (66) looks on in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
The trial against former Major League Baseball player Yasiel Puig and his involvement in an illegal gambling operation has begun.
Yasiel Puig & His Connection to Illegal Gambling
Puig’s trial is underway in downtown Los Angeles.
Puig, who played for the Dodgers from 2013 to 2018, has been accused of participating in an illegal sports betting enterprise.
According to prosecutors, Puig placed 899 wagers on sporting events between May and September 2019 through an associate who sent the bets to Wayne Nix, a former minor league pitcher who ran the illegal business.
Puig bet on football, tennis, and basketball games. However, he abstained from wagering on baseball.
Puig’s losses came to $282,900 in just a few weeks. To offset the losses, Puig sent Nix $200,000.
Puig now faces one count of obstruction of justice and two counts of making false statements to federal investigators.
The obstruction of justice count carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years. Meanwhile, the two false statement charges carry jail time of up to five years. If he gets the maximum punishment on each count, Puig could be in prison for 20 years.
The trial is expected to take less than two weeks.
Yasiel Puig Reversed Course on Plea Agreement
In January 2022, Puig spoke to federal investigators about his involvement in the illicit gambling scheme.
By November 2022, Puig reached an agreement to plead guilty to one count of making false statements to federal investigators.
Shortly after the agreement, Puig reversed course and changed his plea to not guilty. The former MLB player would have been eligible for parole under the plea agreement. Instead, Puig will now fight for his innocence in the courtroom.
”I want to clear my name,” Puig said in a press release. “I never should have agreed to plead guilty to a crime I did not commit.”
Keri Axel, Puig’s attorney, said new evidence in Puig’s case led her client to change his plea from guilty to not guilty.
“At the time of his January 2022 interview, Mr. Puig, who has a third-grade education, had untreated mental-health issues, and did not have his own interpreter or criminal legal counsel with him,” Axel said. “We have reviewed the evidence, including significant new information, and have serious concerns about the allegations made against Yasiel.”
Puig, 35, played for three MLB teams: the Los Angeles Dodgers (2013-2018), the Cincinnati Reds (2019), and the Cleveland Guardians (2019).
Puig’s career numbers are .277, 132 home runs, and 415 RBI in the MLB. Puig then played for teams in the Mexican and Korean baseball leagues.
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