Current:Home > ScamsRays shortstop Wander Franco faces lesser charge as judge analyzes evidence in ongoing probe-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Rays shortstop Wander Franco faces lesser charge as judge analyzes evidence in ongoing probe
View Date:2024-12-23 16:07:01
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Wander Franco is facing a lesser charge after a judge in the Dominican Republic analyzed evidence that alleges the Tampa Bay Rays shortstop had a relationship with a 14-year-old girl and paid her mother thousands of dollars for her consent.
Originally accused of commercial and sexual exploitation and money laundering — charges that carry up to 30 years, 10 years and 20 years of prison respectively — Franco now stands accused instead of sexual and psychological abuse, according to a judge’s resolution that The Associated Press obtained on Tuesday.
Franco has not been formally accused, but if found guilty on the new charge, he could face between two to five years in prison.
Dominican law allows authorities to detain a suspect while prosecutors gather evidence to support their accusations, with a judge later determining whether there is sufficient evidence for charges to be formally filed and the case to move forward.
In his decision, Judge Romaldy Marcelino observed that prosecutors gave the case against Franco a different and more serious treatment because “the accused is a professional MLB player,” he said, referring to Major League Baseball. He didn’t elaborate.
The judge also determined that the money Franco is accused of giving the teen’s mother cannot be considered payment for the girl’s alleged services since the mother requested money after finding out about their relationship, which lasted four months, according to evidence collected by prosecutors.
The girl’s 35-year-old mother also is charged in the case and remains under house arrest. The original charges of money laundering still stand against her. The AP is not naming the woman in order to preserve her daughter’s privacy.
Franco was conditionally released Monday from a jail in the northern province of Puerto Plata after being detained for a week. He was ordered to pay 2 million Dominican pesos ($34,000) as a type of deposit and is required to meet with authorities once a month in the Dominican Republic as the investigation continues.
Franco was having an All-Star season before being sidelined in August, when Dominican authorities began investigating claims he had been in a relationship with a minor. Major League Baseball launched its own investigation, placing Franco on the restricted list on Aug. 14 before moving him to administrative leave on Aug. 22. Both investigations are ongoing.
Franco signed a $182 million, 11-year contract in 2021. His salary last year and this year is $2 million per season.
____
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
veryGood! (5994)
Related
- Burt Bacharach, composer of classic songs, will have papers donated to Library of Congress
- Prosecutors oppose a defense request to exhume the body of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter’s father
- Remi Cruz Shares the Gadget Everyone Should Have in Their Kitchen and More Cooking Essentials
- Federal Reserve hikes key interest rate to highest level in 22 years
- Chiefs block last-second field goal to save unbeaten record, beat Broncos
- Kevin Spacey acquitted of all 9 sexual assault charges by jury in UK trial
- TikTokers are zapping their skin with red light; dermatologists say they’re onto something
- Federal Reserve hikes key interest rate to highest level in 22 years
- John Robinson, successful football coach at USC and with the LA Rams, has died at 89
- Shop the best back-to-school deals on Apple iPads, AirPods, MacBooks and more
Ranking
- Padma Lakshmi, John Boyega, Hunter Schafer star in Pirelli's 2025 calendar: See the photos
- When is Mega Millions' next drawing? Lottery jackpot approaching $1 billion
- Rauw Alejandro Denies Erroneous Cheating Rumors After Rosalía Breakup
- Pink Summer Carnival setlist is a festival of hits. Here are the songs fans can expect.
- Chicago Bears will ruin Caleb Williams if they're not careful | Opinion
- After Boeing Max crashes, US regulators detail safety information that aircraft makers must disclose
- Hep C has a secret strategy to evade the immune system. And now we know what it is
- Whoopi Goldberg Defends Barbie Movie From Critics of Greta Gerwig Film
Recommendation
-
Human head washes ashore on Florida beach, police investigating: reports
-
Dolphins' Tyreek Hill: 'I just can’t make bonehead mistakes' like Miami marina incident
-
Urban beekeeping project works to restore honey bee populations with hives all over Washington, D.C.
-
As 2024 Paris Olympics near, familiar controversies linger
-
Why Suits' Gabriel Macht Needed Time Away From Harvey Specter After Finale
-
Mississippi candidates gives stump speeches amid sawdust and sweat at the Neshoba County Fair
-
AI, automation could kill your job sooner than thought. How COVID sped things up.
-
Women's soccer players file lawsuits against Butler, accuse ex-trainer of sexual assault