Former MLB outfielder Yasiel Puig was convicted Friday of two federal charges related to a 2022 interview he gave in a betting-related inquiry.
Puig, 35, is guilty of making false statements to investigators and obstructing justice. These offenses carry a sentence of up to 20 years, and he will learn his fate at a May 26 sentencing hearing.
Per Sam Blum of The Athletic, Puig undertook a voluntary interview with investigators looking into an illegal gambling website in Jan. ‘22. During that interview, prosecutors said Puig misled investigators, and provided “audio of Puig saying that he’d declined to cooperate with prosecutors during the meeting in question.”
Puig, who played for the Dodgers, Reds and Cleveland from 2013 to ‘19, has played overseas on and off throughout the 2020s. He made the National League All-Star team in 2014 with Los Angeles.
He previously announced in 2021 that he had settled a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault, and the Washington Post reported that year that it was not the first lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault that he had settled.
More MLB on Sports Illustrated
- Paul Goldschmidt Agrees on Contract to Return to Yankees
- 10 World Baseball Classic Players You Didn't Realize Had International Ties
- Three World Baseball Classic Contenders Capable of Toppling Team USA
- Javier Báez Won’t Play in World Baseball Classic Due to International Suspension
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ex-MLB Outfielder Yasiel Puig Found Guilty on Two Federal Charges.
