Yasiel Puig convicted for sports betting by federal government

Former Major League Baseball outfielder Yasiel Puig was convicted Friday of two federal offenses related to an illegal sports betting investigation. The 35-year-old, known for his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, and Cleveland Guardians, was found guilty of obstruction of justice and making false statements to federal investigators, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Puig faces up to 20 years in federal prison, with sentencing scheduled for May 26.

The charges resulted from a January 27, 2022, voluntary interview with federal authorities examining a wide-ranging illegal gambling operation. Prosecutors alleged that Puig deliberately misled investigators about his involvement with the operation run by former minor leaguer Wayne Nix and the role of Nix’s associate, Donny Kadokawa. During the 90-minute session, Puig reportedly denied knowing Nix’s business or its affiliates, despite past gambling activity. Prosecutors presented audio in court showing Puig admitting he declined to cooperate fully with investigators at the time.

The case revealed that Puig began placing bets in May 2019 through Kadokawa on behalf of Nix’s illegal sports betting enterprise. By June 2019, Puig owed the operation $282,900. He later sent $200,000 via two cashier’s checks to a Nix client named Joseph Schottenstein to resolve part of the debt. Between July 4 and September 29, 2019, Puig placed an additional 899 bets on tennis, football, and basketball games, sometimes making wagers at MLB ballparks before or after games. These activities reportedly created nearly $1 million in gambling debt, which Puig did not settle.

Puig had initially agreed to plead guilty in August 2022 to a felony count of lying to federal investigators, a deal that would likely have resulted in probation and a fine. However, he withdrew from the agreement in November 2022, asserting that he never should have admitted guilt for a crime he claimed he did not commit. His attorney, Keri Curtis Axel, asserted that the government failed to prove key elements of the case and plans to pursue post-trial motions.

During the nearly two-week trial in downtown Los Angeles, prosecutors called more than a dozen witnesses, including Major League Baseball officials and Kadokawa. They argued that Puig knowingly provided false statements regarding the nature of his bets, the people he placed them with, and the repayment of gambling debts. The defense countered that Puig, who has a third-grade education and untreated mental health issues, lacked a qualified interpreter familiar with his Cuban Spanish dialect and did not have proper legal counsel during his interview.

Puig played seven seasons in MLB, spending six of them with the Dodgers, where he earned an All-Star selection in 2014 and finished second in the 2013 Rookie of the Year voting. He later played for the Reds and Guardians in 2019 before continuing his career overseas in South Korea and Mexico. Over 861 MLB games, Puig recorded a .277 batting average with 132 home runs, 415 RBIs, and an .823 OPS.

Nix, who orchestrated the illegal gambling operation, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business and subscribing to a false tax return in 2022 and is awaiting sentencing. Puig remains free on his own recognizance until his May 26 sentencing, when a federal judge will determine the length of his prison term.

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