Wander Franco avoids prison after guilty verdict

Wander Franco, the former Tampa Bay Rays shortstop signed to an 11-year, $182 million deal, has avoided prison despite a Dominican court finding him criminally responsible for the sexual and psychological abuse of a minor. The judge said Franco was a victim of

Wander Franco stepped out of the Puerto Plata courthouse with a short, guarded calm in his voice—despite a guilty finding on charges tied to the sexual and psychological abuse of a minor.

On Monday. the former $182 million Tampa Bay Rays shortstop was declared criminally responsible during a hearing in the Dominican Republic for a case involving sexual and psychological abuse of a minor. Yet. when the ruling was delivered. the judge concluded that Franco would not serve prison time as part of his sentence.

The courtroom decision rested on a specific finding: while Franco was found responsible for the abuse, Judge José Antonio Núñez considered that Franco had been the victim of extortion and blackmail by the minor’s mother.

That point sits sharply alongside the outcome for the mother. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually trafficking her daughter.

After the ruling, Franco left the courthouse alongside his lawyer, Teodosio Jaquez. He briefly answered reporters’ questions. saying. “I feel calm. ” and urging his fans to “continue supporting me and trusting in me.” Franco’s attorney. Jáquez. explained that Franco would be exempted from punishment. pointing to the court president’s decision that Franco was also a victim and to a judicial pardon.

“We don’t have the physical sentence in our hands. but he was exempted from punishment because the president of the court established that he was also a victim and because he is exempted from punishment through judicial pardon. ” Jáquez said. “When we have the full sentence in hand, we will give you more details.”.

The next step is scheduled for June 16, when the full sentencing will take place.

Franco’s rise and fall have moved quickly in public view. His baseball career was left in ruins after he was convicted of sexually abusing a teenage girl last June. Before that conviction, in November 2021, Franco signed an 11-year, $182 million contract. His situation changed again when Dominican authorities announced in August 2023 that they were investigating him for an alleged relationship with a minor. Franco was 22 at the time of that investigation.

In January 2024, he was arrested in his home country. Six months later. Tampa Bay placed him on the restricted list. cutting off the pay he had been receiving while he was on administrative leave. As of last June’s conviction. Franco remains on the restricted list. not being paid or accruing Major League service time.

Franco’s case began after allegations that he had a four-month relationship with a girl who was 14 at the time. Prosecutors said he transferred thousands of dollars to the girl’s mother to consent to an illegal relationship.

Following Monday’s hearing, Franco said he had not been in contact with the Major League Baseball franchise, adding that his lawyer had instead. Major League Baseball has also launched an investigation of its own.

The sequence of Monday’s ruling has left an immediate contradiction at its center: Franco was found criminally responsible, yet exempted from prison time because the court treated him as a victim of the mother’s extortion and blackmail. The mother, meanwhile, received a 10-year sentence.

For Franco, the legal timeline is not over. Full sentencing is set for June 16. For Tampa Bay and Major League Baseball, the baseball consequences already exist in full—restricted status, no pay, and no service time—while the investigation continues.

Wander Franco Tampa Bay Rays MLB investigation Dominican Republic court Puerto Plata Teodosio Jaquez Jose Antonio Nunez sexual abuse case restricted list sentencing June 16 extortion blackmail 10 years sentence