LOS ANGELES — Former Major League Baseball outfielder Yasiel Puig was found guilty Friday of obstruction of justice and lying to federal officials during an investigation into an illegal gambling operation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The verdict followed a multiweek trial that included testimony from Major League Baseball officials and Donny Kadokawa, a Hawaii baseball coach who Puig used to place bets. Puig now faces a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years and is scheduled for sentencing on May 26.
From All-Star to Accusations: Puig’s Fall From Grace
The former Dodgers outfielder’s legal troubles stem from his involvement with an illegal gambling ring and subsequent false statements to investigators.
- Puig, 35, initially pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents but later changed his plea to not guilty.
- He admitted to losing over $280,000 in bets on tennis, football, and basketball in 2019.
- Prosecutors argued Puig intentionally misled investigators, while his defense cited language barriers and mental health concerns.
- Wayne Nix, the operator of the illegal gambling business, has also pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
- Puig enjoyed a accomplished MLB career, highlighted by an All-star selection in 2014 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Puig, 35, initially pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents but later changed his plea to not guilty, stating he should have agreed to plead guilty to a crime I did not commit.”
The government contended that Puig deliberately misled the federal investigators. They presented audio clips of Puig speaking English in court and called expert witnesses to testify regarding his cognitive abilities, according to reports.
Puig’s legal team argued that he has a third-grade education, suffers from untreated mental-health issues, and lacked proper legal counsel or an interpreter during the initial interview with federal investigators where he allegedly lied.
steven Gebelin, Puig’s former attorney, testified that during the January 2022 interview, Puig attempted to cooperate with investigators, but the interpreter struggled with Puig’s specific Spanish dialect, reports indicated.
Puig batted .277 with 132 home runs and 415 RBIs over seven major league seasons, spending his frist six years with the Dodgers, where he was named an All-Star in 2014.
Dodgers broadcaster Vin scully famously dubbed Puig the “wild horse” due to his youthful exuberance and talent,as he joined MLB at age 22,a year after leaving his native Cuba.
He played for the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians in 2019 before becoming a free agent.He afterward played in the Mexican League and, last year, signed a one-year,$1 million contract with the Kiwoom Heroes of South Korea.
