LOS ANGELES (AP) — A jury has found former major league outfielder Yasiel Puig guilty of obstruction of justice and lying to federal officials investigating an illegal gambling operation. The verdict came after a multiweek trial that featured testimony from Major League Baseball officials and Donny Kadokawa, a Hawaii baseball coach that Puig placed bets through. Puig now faces up to 20 years in federal prison and is scheduled to be sentenced May 26.
Puig, 35, initially pled guilty to a felony charge of lying to federal agents investigating an illegal gambling operation. He acknowledged in an August 2022 plea agreement that he wracked up more than $280,000 in losses over a few months in 2019 while wagering on tennis, football and basketball games.
Authorities said Puig placed at least 900 bets through Nix-controlled betting websites. During a January 2022 interview with federal investigators, Puig denied knowing about the nature of his bets. However, he later changed his plea to not guilty based on significant new evidence.
“I want to clear my name,” Puig stated, claiming he never agreed to plead guilty to a crime he did not commit. His legal team argued that language barriers due to his Spanish dialect and his background hindered proper communication with investigators.
Puig's impressive MLB career included a batting average of .277 with 132 home runs during seven seasons, earning him a reputation for both his talent and on-field antics.
Puig, 35, initially pled guilty to a felony charge of lying to federal agents investigating an illegal gambling operation. He acknowledged in an August 2022 plea agreement that he wracked up more than $280,000 in losses over a few months in 2019 while wagering on tennis, football and basketball games.
Authorities said Puig placed at least 900 bets through Nix-controlled betting websites. During a January 2022 interview with federal investigators, Puig denied knowing about the nature of his bets. However, he later changed his plea to not guilty based on significant new evidence.
“I want to clear my name,” Puig stated, claiming he never agreed to plead guilty to a crime he did not commit. His legal team argued that language barriers due to his Spanish dialect and his background hindered proper communication with investigators.
Puig's impressive MLB career included a batting average of .277 with 132 home runs during seven seasons, earning him a reputation for both his talent and on-field antics.
