Former All-Star outfielder Yasiel Puig faces up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to felony charges of lying to federal agents about illegal sports bets he placed.
Puig, 31, agreed to pay a fine of at least $55,000, according to the Department of Justice. The unsealed court documents reveal Puig placed over 899 bets in 2019 on football, tennis and basketball games that risked hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The guilty plea comes after Puig lied to federal investigators several times during an interview in January of 2022. He falsely stated that he only knew Wayne Joseph Nix — his bookie — through baseball and never discussed gambling with him. Really, Puig and Nix talked about gambling hundreds of time in text messages and phone calls, the DOJ found.
At one point, Puig owed Nix — who has since pleaded guilty to conspiracy to operate an illegal sports gambling business — $282,900 in losses.
“Under our system of justice, no one is above the law,” United States Attorney Martin Estrada said in the press release. “The integrity of our nation’s criminal justice system depends on people telling the truth, and those who fail to abide by this simple principle must face consequences.”
Puig played seven MLB seasons, including six with the Dodgers. He was an All-Star in 2014 last suited up for Cleveland in 2019. Puig currently plays professional baseball in South Korea.