Cleveland Guardians pitchers, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, have been accused of accepting bribes from sports bettors to manipulate their pitching during games. The allegations state that they deliberately threw certain pitches inaccurately to help bettors from the Dominican Republic win in-game prop bets based on pitch speed and outcomes.
Clase and Ortiz have been on paid leave since July while Major League Baseball looked into unusual betting patterns during their games. Ortiz, 26, was arrested by the FBI at Boston Logan International Airport, while Clase, 27, is currently not in custody.
The charges against the pitchers include wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy, with potential penalties up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
These accusations are part of a wider crackdown on betting in professional sports following a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that lifted restrictions on sports betting in many states. The recent arrests in the NBA, including figures like Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier, have also highlighted the ongoing challenges with gambling in sports.
Major League Baseball stated they alerted law enforcement during their investigation and are cooperating fully. The Guardians also pledged to assist in ongoing investigations by both law enforcement and the league.
