Two Major League Baseball Pitchers Charged In Sports Gambling Scheme

Two pitchers for nan Cleveland Guardians person been accused of taking bribes to rig pitches they threw astatine Major League Baseball games.

The pitchers, Emmanuel Clase de la Cruz and Luis Leandro Ortiz Ribera, person been charged successful relationship to nan sports betting and money laundering scheme, national prosecutors and nan FBI announced connected Sunday.

Prosecutors allege that nan strategy drew hundreds of thousands of dollars successful forbidden wagers.

"The defendants' alleged greed not only established an unfair advantage for prime bettors, but besides sullied nan estimation of America's pastime," FBI Assistant Director successful Charge Christopher Raia said successful a statement. The 2 players person denied immoderate wrongdoing.

The indictment alleges that Mr Ortiz and Mr Clase co-ordinated successful beforehand pinch co-conspirators, allowing nan co-conspirators and sometimes themselves, to spot hundreds of fraudulent bets astatine online sportsbooks.

Prosecutors opportunity Mr Clase, who they allege joined nan strategy astir May 2023, and Mr Ortiz, who they allege joined astir June 2025, each received kickbacks aliases bribes from nan bettors successful speech for nan precocious information.

For example, earlier a crippled connected 27 June 2025, bettors paid Mr Ortiz $7,000 to propulsion a rigged transportation and paid Mr Clase nan aforesaid magnitude for arranging nan rigged pitch, prosecutors allege. Prior to nan game, Mr Clase took retired $50,000 successful rate and gave $15,000 to a co-conspirator who utilized it to stake connected nan pitch, nan indictment alleges.

In total, Mr Ortiz's rigged pitches helped his co-conspirators triumph astatine slightest $60,000 from nan forbidden wagers, while Mr Clase's helped his co-conspirators bring successful astatine slightest $400,000, prosecutors allege.

"The defendants deprived nan Cleveland Guardians and Major League Baseball of their honorable services. They defrauded nan online betting platforms wherever nan bets were placed," US Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr, alleged successful a property release.

"When corruption infiltrates nan sport, it brings ugliness not only to nan participants but damages nan nationalist spot successful an institution that is captious and beloved to each of us," Mr Nocella added.

Mr Ortiz was arrested successful Boston connected Sunday, and Mr Clase is not presently successful US custody, authorities said.

Both person been charged pinch ligament fraud conspiracy, honorable services ligament fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to power sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy.

Luis Ortiz's lawyer, Chris Georgalis, told CBS News, nan BBC's US partner, that his customer "is guiltless of nan charges related to 2 pitches he threw".

"He has never, and would never, improperly power a game—not for anyone and not for anything," Mr Georgalis told CBS.

The BBC has besides contacted Mr Clase's representative, Kelvin Nova.

While nan investigation into Mr Clase was still ongoing anterior to nan indictments, Mr Nova told Cleveland.com that his customer "told maine he doesn't bet".

The charges travel conscionable weeks aft nan FBI announced dozens of arrests successful relationship to 2 akin sports betting and money laundering schemes that progressive a master NBA subordinate and coach arsenic good arsenic members of New York crime families.