A former MLB star agreed to enter a guilty plea on Monday.
Yasiel Puig, who starred prominently with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2013-2018, making the All-Star Game in 2014, pled guilty to a felony charge that he lied to federal agents about an illegal gambling operation.
Yasiel Puig pled guilty to lying to federal law enforcement officials about gambling on sporting eventshttps://t.co/NJMkdLEBCz pic.twitter.com/NcJmvNljgN
— Eric Stephen (@ericstephen) November 14, 2022
The Department of Justice issued a press release on Puig’s guilty plea. It read, “A former Major League Baseball (MLB) player has agreed to plead guilty to a federal charge for lying to federal law enforcement officials about bets on spring events that he placed with an illegal gambling operation, according to court documents unsealed today.”
The release continued on to say that Puig “has agreed to plead guilty to one count of making false statements.” He will pay a fine totaling, at least, $55,000 according to the release.
The maximum sentence for the felony charge of lying to law enforcement is a harsh one. It holds a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
Puig had been involved with an illegal gambling business run as far back as 2019. He made 899 bets over a three-month period at one point.
Yasiel Puig makes 899 sports bets in a 3-month period. His #MLB career is now officially over https://t.co/gCTVKOW0xJ
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) November 15, 2022
Puig will make an appearance in court on November 15
