News

Rays’ Wander Franco Accused Of Sexually Exploiting Minors And Money Laundering

Prosecutors in the Dominican Republic accused Tampa Bay Rays star Wander Franco of sexually exploiting at least one minor and making hush money payments to silence family members. A judge will reportedly make a ruling in the case on Friday.

In a statement released Wednesday and later translated to English, prosecutors requested an $86,000 bond for Franco. He has been detained since Monday for failing to appear at summons last week and has not yet been arrested for any charges brought forward by prosecutors. He cannot be released until Friday when a judge will make an initial ruling on the case’s next steps. The judge can choose to release Franco on bond, detain him and prevent him from leaving the country, or force him to appear at certain intervals as the case progresses.

“The Puerto Plata Prosecutor’s Office … filed this Wednesday the request for a coercive measure against the Major League baseball player, Wander Franco, and the mother of a minor, who are charged with the crimes of commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering,” the prosecutor’s statement said.

All other names in the case, which allegedly involve multiple minors and family members, have been kept private. The Tampa Bay Rays, who signed Franco to an 11-year, $182 million extension in 2021, have not commented on the recent development in his case. The team has not publicly addressed Franco’s legal trouble since August when MLB and local law enforcement in the Dominican Republic first began investigating.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.

“We support any steps taken by the league to better understand the situation,” the Rays said in a statement at the time. “Out of respect for all parties involved, we have no further comments at this time.”

Franco was placed on the restricted list in August and has not competed for Tampa Bay since, though he continued to receive money for the duration of the season. The Rays reactivated him at the end of the season, but this was simply a clerical move, as the team has no intention of fielding Franco until the investigations and court proceedings conclude.

Patrick Moquin

Recent Posts

Paul George Exits With Knee Injury As 76ers Fall To 2-12 In Loss To Grizzlies

With their big three finally back in action Wednesday, the Philadelphia 76ers suffered another setback…

7 hours ago

VIDEO: Nike Pays Tribute to Rafael Nadal With 30-Foot Projection In Front of Eiffel Tower

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tny--EWynOQ Nike paid tribute to Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal with a 10-meter-tall animated display…

1 day ago

VIDEO: Rafael Nadal Gets Emotional Tribute as He Retires From Tennis

https://youtu.be/dtJoJz9hC48 Tennis legend Rafael Nadal bid a heartfelt goodbye to his devoted Spanish fans as he brought…

1 day ago

VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Olympic Fencer Eli Dershwitz Explains The Art Of Fencing

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DQ9Rxhnuer4 U.S. Olympic fencer Eli Dershwitz shed light on the critical skills necessary in fencing…

2 days ago

Two Bears Offensive Linemen Return To Practice, Caleb Williams Desperate For Blocking

Two offensive linemen for the Chicago Bears returned to practice, a massive step in the…

3 days ago

VIDEO: UFC Heavyweight Champion Performs Viral Trump Dance In New York

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/s2g9t_33Myw President-elect Donald Trump received a warm welcome from Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter Jon…

4 days ago