Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been accused of receiving bribes from individuals betting on sports to manipulate their pitches, specifically by throwing balls instead of strikes to influence the outcome of certain bets.
An indictment revealed in federal court in Brooklyn states that Clase and Ortiz allegedly assisted bettors from the Dominican Republic in winning prop bets related to pitch speed and results by intentionally delivering slower pitches outside the strike zone.
Both players have been on paid leave without disciplinary action since July while Major League Baseball probed into the unusually high betting activity associated with their games.
Ortiz, aged 26, was apprehended by the FBI at Boston Logan International Airport on Sunday. He is scheduled to make an appearance in federal court in Boston on Monday. Clase, aged 27, remains at large, as per authorities.
A spokesperson for Ortiz’s legal team declined to provide a statement when approached by The Associated Press, and Clase’s attorney did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Clase and Ortiz face charges including wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting events through bribery, and money laundering conspiracy. The primary charges could lead to a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison upon conviction.
These allegations against Clase and Ortiz are the latest in a series of significant developments in the government’s crackdown on sports betting.
Historically, betting scandals have been a source of concern for professional sports leagues. However, a pivotal U.S. Supreme Court ruling in May 2018 triggered a surge in gambling-related incidents involving athletes and officials. The ruling invalidated a federal law prohibiting sports betting in most states, paving the way for online sportsbooks to become more prevalent in the sports industry.
Recently, over 30 individuals, including notable basketball figures like Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, were arrested in a gambling investigation that shook the NBA.
Major League Baseball confirmed that it alerted federal law enforcement upon detecting the unusual betting patterns and has fully cooperated with the authorities in their inquiries. The league’s statement acknowledged the indictment and arrests, stating that their investigation is ongoing.
The Guardians released a statement saying, “We are aware of the recent law enforcement action. We will continue to fully cooperate with both law enforcement and Major League Baseball as their investigations progress.”
