Chicago.– US prosecutors accuse Dominican pitchers Emmanuel Class y Luis Ortizbelonging to the Guardians of Clevelandwere formally accused this Sunday of conspiring to commit wire fraud, manipulating sports betting, and money launderingas reported by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
According to the official statement, Ortiz26 years old, was arrested in the city of Bostonwhile Class27, remains under investigation but is not in custody. Both would have participated in a corruption network who bet large sums of money on Major League Baseball (MLB) matches, deliberately altering the development of some matches.
Launch tampering in exchange for bribes
US authorities maintain that the two baseball players provided privileged information to bettorsincluding details about the pitches they would make during the games. In some cases, they would have intentionally thrown balls instead of ‘strikes’ to favor previously agreed bets.
According to court documents, the investigation dates back to May 2023when Clase began to collaborate with bettors. Illegal transactions intensified in June 2025, with Ortiz already involved in the network.
Before a match held on June 27, 2025Ortiz would have agreed throw a ball on purpose during the second pitch of the match in exchange for a bribe of $7,000while Clase received a similar sum for organizing the manipulation. The Prosecutor’s Office estimates that bettors they made at least $400,000 in profits product of these fraudulent practices.
Possible convictions and indictments
Both players face federal charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, bribery and money launderingcrimes that could lead to sentences of up to 20 years in prison if they are found guilty.
Ortiz will be presented this Monday November 10 before a federal court in Boston, while the case against Clase will be processed later in New York.
El fiscal federal Joseph Nocella Jr. He expressed that athletes “They betrayed the trust of the public and their team by manipulating the results of the game for economic benefit.” He added that these actions “damage the integrity of professional sport and undermine fans’ faith in the honesty of baseball.”
Reaction from MLB and the Cleveland Guardians
Both the Major League Baseball (MLB) like the Guardians of Cleveland issued statements ensuring that cooperate fully with federal authorities since the beginning of the investigation.
“MLB contacted authorities at the beginning of the process and has cooperated fully throughout the investigation,” the league said in its official note.
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For its part, the Cleveland team stated that it will continue to support the investigations and take the necessary measures to protect the integrity of the club and professional baseball.
“We are aware of the recent judicial actions and will maintain full cooperation with the authorities and with the MLB while the case is ongoing,” the organization said.
A blow to baseball’s credibility
The case has generated great commotion in the sports fieldespecially since it is active MLB players involved in an illegal gambling scheme. Experts assure that this judicial process could become one of the biggest sports integrity scandals in the recent history of American professional baseball.
