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Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Claes and Luis Ortiz are charged with accepting bribes from sports bettors to intentionally throw certain types of pitches, including throwing balls instead of strikes, to ensure successful bets.
According to the indictment unsealed Sunday in federal court in Brooklyn, Claeys and Ortiz helped players in their native Dominican Republic win in-game bets on pitch speed and outcome by throwing certain balls slower and down in the dirt, well outside the strike zone.
Both pitchers have been on non-disciplinary leave with pay since July while Major League Baseball investigated what it said was unusually high in-game betting activity when they were pitching.
Ortiz, 26, was arrested by the FBI on Sunday at Boston's Logan International Airport. He is expected to appear in federal court in Boston on Monday. Claeys, 27, is not yet in custody, authorities said.
Ortiz's lawyer declined to comment when contacted by The Associated Press, and Claise's lawyer did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
Clase and Ortiz are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, conspiracy to influence athletic competition through bribery and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, the most serious charges carry a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
The charges against Claise and Ortiz are the latest high-profile developments in the federal crackdown on professional sports betting.
Betting scandals have long plagued professional sports leagues, but a May 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision led to a wave of gambling incidents involving athletes and officials. The ruling overturned a federal law that had banned sports betting in most states and opened the door for online sportsbooks to become prominent in the sports ecosystem.
Last month, more than 30 people, including prominent basketball figures such as Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, were arrested in a gambling spree that rocked the NBA.
Major League Baseball said it contacted federal law enforcement when it began investigating unusual betting activity and was “fully cooperating” with authorities. “We are aware of the indictment and today’s arrest, and our investigation is ongoing,” the statement said.
In a statement, The Guardians said: “We are aware of recent law enforcement actions. We will continue to fully cooperate with both law enforcement and Major League Baseball as their investigations continue.”
