After Cleveland Guardians pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase were charged in connection with a scheme to fix bets on pitches thrown during games, Ortiz was arrested Sunday and his attorney said his client was innocent of the charges.
According to the indictment, the two conspirators “agreed in advance with their co-conspirators that they would throw specific pitches in MLB games,” and the co-conspirators “then used that information to place hundreds of fraudulent bets on those pitches.”
Ortiz’s attorney responded in a statement, saying Ortiz “has never inappropriately influenced any game and never would do so for anyone or for nothing.”
Prosecutors charged that Clase began rigging pitches with a gambler as early as May 2023, planning to throw certain pitchers in front of balls so the gambler could win prop bets. Ortiz joined the scheme last June, in which pitchers received kickbacks from profits for their participation.
Both pitchers face decades in prison for wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and five years for conspiracy to influence sporting events through bribery.
Ortiz’s attorney, Chris Georgalis, called Ortiz “a fierce competitor.”
Also in the statement: “As Luis’ defense team extensively explained and documented to the government before these charges were filed, Luis’ payments and other monetary transfers between him and individuals in the Dominican Republic were for lawful activities.”
Additionally, the statement said, “There is no credible evidence that Luis knowingly did anything other than try to win games with every pitch and every inning. Luis looks forward to fighting these charges in court. The government’s case is weak and circumstantial.”
Ortiz and Clase were placed on non-disciplinary paid leave in early July.
In August, the leaves were extended “until further notice.”
– With AP
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