"Former Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were indicted on charges related to a gambling scheme, the latest in a string of betting scandals that have rocked sports. Two and a half weeks after indicting an NBA player and two coaches for their alleged roles in gambling schemes, the United States Attorney's Office out of the Eastern District of New York accused Clase and Ortiz of rigging individual pitches to benefit unnamed bettors."
"The indictment alleges that Clase and Ortiz received kickbacks for agreeing to manipulate their performance so that associates could profit from bets on their individual pitches' location and velocity. "Through this scheme, the defendants defrauded betting platforms, deprived Major League Baseball and the Cleveland Guardians of their honest services, illegally enriched themselves and their co-conspirators, misled the public, and betrayed America's pastime," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in the release announcing the indictment."
"Clase was the closer for the Cleveland Guardians and one of the best relief pitchers in Major League Baseball, a three-time All-Star and two-time winner of the Mariano Rivera Reliever of the Year award. The Guardians acquired Ortiz, a 26-year-old right-handed starter, in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates last December."
Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment accusing former Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz of manipulating individual pitches to benefit bettors and receiving kickbacks. The indictment alleges targeted proposition bets on pitch location and velocity and claims the scheme defrauded betting platforms, deprived Major League Baseball and the Guardians of honest services, and enriched the defendants and co-conspirators. Clase is accused of starting the scheme as early as May 2023. Ortiz was acquired by the Guardians in a trade last December. The charges follow other recent indictments tied to sports gambling schemes and will prompt legal proceedings and potential league discipline.
Read at ESPN.com
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