Cleveland Guardians Pitcher Emmanuel Clase Arrested, Pleads Not Guilty in Pitch Rigging Case
Major League Baseball's star pitcher, Emmanuel Clase, has been arrested at JFK airport and arraigned on charges of wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy. The arrest comes as part of a federal investigation into a wide-ranging sports betting scheme that has implicated several high-profile athletes across different American sports leagues.
Clase, who is also a Dominican national, was arrested on Thursday morning after flying in from his native country. He was brought to a Brooklyn courtroom where he entered a not guilty plea and spent most of the proceedings leaning back in his chair with arms folded. His lawyer, Michael Ferrera, noted that Clase had agreed to surrender his passport and return to the US voluntarily, but Judge Joseph A. Marutollo expressed concerns about his financial status and ties to the Dominican Republic, leading him to deny Clase's request for location monitoring.
Clase is not the only MLB player implicated in this scandal. His teammate and co-defendant, fellow pitcher Luis Ortiz, was also arraigned on similar charges earlier this week. Ortiz, who is also a Dominican national, was released on $500,000 bond with a location monitoring device to wear until his bail can be secured.
The investigation into the sports betting scheme has already led to several high-profile suspensions and bans, including former San Diego Padres shortstop Tucupita Marcano, who was banned for life. Last year, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani's interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, pleaded guilty to charges stemming from debts he had accrued betting on professional sports using an illegal bookmaker.
The latest arrest of Clase and Ortiz comes as federal law enforcement officials have announced a new betting scheme allegedly involving NBA player Terry Rozier and coach Chauncey Billups. The two are currently being held by federal agents.
Clase and Ortiz are scheduled to appear in court again in December for a status conference before District Judge Matsumoto. Their lawyers have maintained that their clients' innocence, with Ortiz's lawyer stating that there are questions regarding the strength of the evidence against him.
Major League Baseball's star pitcher, Emmanuel Clase, has been arrested at JFK airport and arraigned on charges of wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy. The arrest comes as part of a federal investigation into a wide-ranging sports betting scheme that has implicated several high-profile athletes across different American sports leagues.
Clase, who is also a Dominican national, was arrested on Thursday morning after flying in from his native country. He was brought to a Brooklyn courtroom where he entered a not guilty plea and spent most of the proceedings leaning back in his chair with arms folded. His lawyer, Michael Ferrera, noted that Clase had agreed to surrender his passport and return to the US voluntarily, but Judge Joseph A. Marutollo expressed concerns about his financial status and ties to the Dominican Republic, leading him to deny Clase's request for location monitoring.
Clase is not the only MLB player implicated in this scandal. His teammate and co-defendant, fellow pitcher Luis Ortiz, was also arraigned on similar charges earlier this week. Ortiz, who is also a Dominican national, was released on $500,000 bond with a location monitoring device to wear until his bail can be secured.
The investigation into the sports betting scheme has already led to several high-profile suspensions and bans, including former San Diego Padres shortstop Tucupita Marcano, who was banned for life. Last year, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani's interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, pleaded guilty to charges stemming from debts he had accrued betting on professional sports using an illegal bookmaker.
The latest arrest of Clase and Ortiz comes as federal law enforcement officials have announced a new betting scheme allegedly involving NBA player Terry Rozier and coach Chauncey Billups. The two are currently being held by federal agents.
Clase and Ortiz are scheduled to appear in court again in December for a status conference before District Judge Matsumoto. Their lawyers have maintained that their clients' innocence, with Ortiz's lawyer stating that there are questions regarding the strength of the evidence against him.
! Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz are not just baseball players, they're also friends and teammates who are facing serious charges. I feel bad for their families and loved ones who must be going through this tough time 
. It's not cool that the investigation has implicated so many high-profile athletes across different sports leagues 
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. But what really gets me is that this scandal is still ongoing and new people are getting caught up in it 
. I just want to know how deep the investigation goes and if there's any chance of these players clearing their names 
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. What's going on here? Is this a bigger issue than we think? I need some answers 
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. I mean, come on, guys! Can't you just win your games fair and square? 
. They're getting all these high-profile suspensions and bans already, so yeah, I'm sure Clase and Ortiz are gonna be in for a wild ride 
. Their lawyers say there's doubt about the evidence, but let's be real, how many people do you trust on a case like this? 
and can we talk about how convenient it is that he had a lawyer who was all like 'he surrendered voluntarily' 
meanwhile his teammate Ortiz gets bail with a tracking device 
and Clase doesn't 
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. And now there are more players implicated, including Luis Ortiz? It's like, where does it end?! 
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. Let's all just take a deep breath and hope for the best outcome here 
!
it makes me wonder how far into this sports betting scheme goes, and how many other players are involved 
anyway, hope these guys can clear their names and get back on the field soon 
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like, what a bunch of cheaters 
! The fact that they're Dominican nationals trying to take advantage of their country's system is just wild 
. And now they're putting innocent people at risk because of their own greed 
. The whole sports betting scheme thing is so shady 
. Anyway, I'm keeping an eye on these two and hoping justice is served 
#JusticeForSports #CheatersNeverProsper #RiggingTheGame
and it's not just clase either, there are like 3 or 4 mls players implicated in this scandal already and they're all from different countries too. what if he loses his appeal? his whole baseball career is over 
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. I feel bad for the other guys involved, especially Shohei Ohtani's interpreter who had to deal with those financial troubles 
.