By Rory Carroll
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Former Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star Yasiel Puig has agreed to plead guilty to a federal charge of lying to law enforcement officials about sports bets the slugger placed with an illegal gambling operation, the Department of Justice said on Monday.
Puig, 31, who now plays professionally in South Korea, has agreed to pay a fine of at least $55,000, the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California said in a news release.
Puig also agreed to make his initial appearance at U.S. District Court on Tuesday.
According to his plea agreement, Puig began placing bets on sporting events though a third party who worked on behalf of an illegal gambling business run by former minor league player Wayne Joseph Nix.
After Puig paid off $200,000 of his losses in 2019 and regained access to Nix-controlled betting websites, he placed 899 additional bets on tennis, football and basketball games from July to September 2019.
In January 2022, federal investigators interviewed Puig in the presence of his lawyer and despite being warned that lying to federal agents is a crime, “Puig lied several times” about his relationship with the third party and the $200,000 payment.
In April, Nix pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal sports gambling business and one count of filing a false tax return. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 8.
Puig defected from Cuba in 2012 and signed a seven-year, $42 million contract with the Dodgers. He was named to the All-Star team in 2014.
The outfielder played for the Cincinnati Reds and the then-Cleveland Indians during the 2019 season and joined the Kiwoom Heroes of South Korea’s KBO League this year.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
