Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been indicted by prosecutors after being named in a bombshell probe into rigged pitches in Major League Baseball.
The pair were previously being investigated by the league itself, with a spokesperson revealing on Sunday that MLB chiefs immediately contacted federal law enforcement, ‘fully cooperating throughout the process’.
And on Sunday, Ortiz was arrested in Boston after he and Clase were charged on multiple counts including wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and bribery.
If found guilty, each player could face up to 65 years in prison. Prosecutors allege that Ortiz was paid $5,000 for throwing an intentional ball on June 15, with Clase given $5,000 for facilitating it.
It is alleged they then repeated the same process on June 27 for a payment of $7,000 apiece.
Following his arrest, Ortiz will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on Monday, before being arraigned in Brooklyn, New York at a later date. Clase is not currently in US custody, according to the indictment.
Emmanuel Clase has been indicted by prosecutors
Luis Ortiz was arrested in Boston on Sunday morning