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On one occasion, Clase allegedly used his cell phone during an MLB game to coordinate a pitch with a bettor, a violation of league rules, according to the indictment.
Luis Ortiz (L) Emmanuel Clase (R)
BROOKLYN, NY –
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn announced charges against two Cleveland Guardians Baseball pitchers, Emmanuel Clase de la Cruz and Luis Leandro Ortiz Ribera, for allegedly conspiring with sports bettors to rig pitches over two years.
The MLB players, both citizens of the Dominican Republic, are accused of working with bettors to fix the outcomes of certain “prop bets”—wagers placed on specific in-game events, such as the speed or type of an individual pitch.
U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said the players allegedly “sold that trust to gamblers by fixing pitches,” defrauding online betting platforms and depriving the Cleveland Guardians and MLB of their honest services.
Details of the Alleged Scheme
The scheme allegedly began in May 2023 with Clase, a relief pitcher. Clase allegedly agreed with bettors in advance on the speed and type of pitches he would throw in certain MLB games.
Clase often threw pitches that were slower than his average or deliberately threw balls outside the strike zone, sometimes even into the dirt, to ensure bettors won their wagers.
The indictment states that bettors won at least $400,000 from wagers placed on pitches Clase allegedly rigged between 2023 and 2025.
The charges claim Clase accepted bribes and kickback payments from the bettors in exchange for providing this information. On one occasion, Clase allegedly used his cell phone during an MLB game to coordinate a pitch with a bettor, a violation of league rules.
Ortiz, a starting pitcher, allegedly joined the scheme in June 2025. He is accused of agreeing with Clase and the bettors to throw balls for specific pitches in at least two games in exchange for bribes.
For instance, before a game on June 15, 2025, Ortiz allegedly agreed to throw a ball for his first pitch in the second inning in exchange for approximately $5,000. Clase allegedly received an additional $5,000 for arranging the rigged pitch.
Bettors won at least $60,000 from pitches Ortiz allegedly rigged in June 2025. The indictment includes evidence of Clase allegedly withdrawing $50,000 in cash and providing $15,000 to a bettor to place wagers on a rigged pitch by Ortiz.
Both Clase and Ortiz are charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracies. The most serious charges carry a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Ortiz was arrested Sunday in Boston, Massachusetts, and is scheduled to appear in federal court there. Clase is not currently in U.S. custody.
Read the indictment below: