Puig changing plea to not guilty of lying in gambling case
NEW YORK (AP) — Former main league outfielder Yasiel Puig has determined to withdraw his settlement to plead responsible to a cost of mendacity to federal brokers investigating an unlawful playing operation.
Puig is altering his plea to not responsible due to “significant new evidence,” based on a press release Wednesday from his attorneys in Los Angeles.
“I want to clear my name,” Puig mentioned within the assertion. “I by no means ought to have agreed to plead responsible to against the law I didn’t commit.”
In mid-November, the Justice Department introduced Puig, 31, had agreed to plead responsible to 1 rely of creating false statements in an interview with federal investigators again in January.
That left him dealing with as much as 5 years in federal jail — although he was eligible for probation beneath the plea settlement, his attorneys mentioned. He additionally agreed to pay a advantageous of at the least $55,000.
The interview was performed through Zoom and was associated to playing that occurred in 2019, his attorneys mentioned.
“At the time of his January 2022 interview, Mr. Puig, who has a third-grade training, had untreated psychological well being points, and didn’t have his personal interpreter or legal authorized counsel with him,″ Puig’s lawyer, Keri Axel, mentioned in Wednesday’s assertion. “We have reviewed the proof, together with important new data, and have severe issues in regards to the allegations made in opposition to Yasiel.”
Axel is in discussions with the federal government in regards to the new proof, the assertion mentioned.
Puig, who has been enjoying in South Korea, was born in Cuba and spent seven seasons within the majors from 2013-19, the primary six with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He batted .277 with 132 house runs and 415 RBIs and earned an All-Star choice in 2014.
In an August plea settlement, Puig acknowledged that over a number of months in 2019 he racked up greater than $280,000 in losses whereas wagering on tennis, soccer and basketball video games by way of a 3rd get together who labored for an unlawful playing operation run by Wayne Nix, a former minor league baseball participant.
Puig positioned at the least 900 bets by way of Nix-controlled betting web sites and thru a person who labored for Nix, authorities mentioned.
Puig didn’t work together with Nix, his attorneys mentioned within the assertion Wednesday.
In the plea settlement, Puig acknowledged mendacity in January to federal investigators who have been wanting into the business, denying he had positioned bets by way of the operation.
Nix pleaded responsible in April to conspiracy to function an unlawful sports activities playing business and submitting a false tax return. Prosecutors mentioned Nix’s operation ran for 20 years and included each present and former skilled athletes as purchasers or staff.
Federal prosecutors additionally introduced that one other former MLB participant, Erik Kristian Hiljus, 49, of Los Angeles, had agreed to plead responsible to 2 counts of subscribing to false tax returns. They mentioned he was an agent for Nix’s operation.
Hiljus might resist six years in federal jail at sentencing.
Puig performed for Cincinnati and Cleveland in 2019 earlier than turning into a free agent. He then performed within the Mexican League and final 12 months signed a one-year, $1 million contract with South Korea’s Kiwoom Heroes.
MLB wouldn’t examine the problems associated to playing until Puig makes an attempt to signal with a giant league group.
