CINCINNATI (WKRC) – Former Cincinnati Reds outfielder Yasiel Puig Valdés has been convicted of lying to federal investigators about his involvement in an illegal gambling operation, federal prosecutors said.
Puig was found guilty of one count of obstruction of justice and one count of making false statements following a nearly two-week trial. Prosecutors said Puig placed illegal sports bets beginning in May 2019 through Donny Kadokawa, a sub-agent for an unlawful gambling business operated by Wayne Joseph Nix.
By June 2019, Puig had accumulated gambling losses totaling $282,900, according to trial evidence. Although he paid $200,000 toward the debt, prosecutors said he continued gambling and eventually accrued nearly $1 million in unpaid losses.
Authorities said Puig lied to federal investigators during an interview in January 2022 after being warned that providing false information could result in criminal charges. Prosecutors said he later admitted to obstructing the investigation. Puig also made false statements about illegal gambling during his naturalization process, according to court records.
Nix has pleaded guilty to related charges and is awaiting sentencing.
Puig, a Cuban national, played in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Reds and Cleveland Guardians, as well as professional teams in Mexico and South Korea.
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Sentencing is scheduled for May 26. Puig faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison for obstruction of justice and up to five years for making false statements. He remains free on personal recognizance.