Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco has been charged with illegally carrying a gun in his vehicle during an altercation in a parking lot that led to his arrest in the Dominican Republic over the weekend. The attorney general's office in the Dominican Republic revealed that police discovered a Glock pistol with a 15-round magazine inside the Mercedes Benz that Franco was driving during the incident, which police described as an altercation over a woman's attention. Authorities stated that the gun was registered to Franco’s uncle.
Franco, 23, who is currently awaiting trial in a sexual abuse case involving a minor, was taken into custody on Sunday following an argument that erupted in a San Juan de la Maguana apartment complex parking lot. Another man and a woman were also detained during the confrontation, and two firearms were seized by the police. Franco's lawyer, Teodosio Jáquez, asserted that Franco was not the aggressor but rather a victim in the altercation.
Prosecutors mentioned that no injuries were reported in the dispute, and both parties agreed not to press charges. If convicted of illegally possessing a firearm, Franco could face a three- to five-year prison sentence. Jáquez was not immediately available for comment on the charge.
Franco is set to stand trial on December 12 in the northern province of Puerto Plata in connection with the sexual abuse case involving a 14-year-old girl. He faces charges of sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor and human trafficking. Franco was conditionally released on January 5, four days after his initial arrest on the abuse allegations.
Despite his silence towards the media, Franco has expressed that he believes 'everything is in God’s hands' regarding the sexual abuse case. The baseball player was in his third major league season when his career was halted in August 2023. He had agreed to an 11-year, $182 million contract in November 2021. Tampa Bay placed him on the restricted list on July 10, suspending the pay he had been receiving while on administrative leave.
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