Former Major League Baseball outfielder Yasiel Puig has been found guilty of obstruction of justice and making false statements to federal investigators. The verdict came after a 13-day trial in downtown Los Angeles, stemming from a broader investigation into an illegal sports gambling operation.
Puig, 35, had been accused of lying during a January 27, 2022, voluntary interview with federal authorities about his involvement in placing bets through an unlicensed network, according to a Justice Department press release.
The case originated from a 2017 federal probe into an illegal gambling business run by Wayne Nix, a former minor league baseball player from Newport Coast, California. Nix pleaded guilty in April 2022 to conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business and subscribing to a false tax return.
Prosecutors detailed that Puig began placing sports bets in May 2019 through Donny Kadokawa, a Hawaii baseball coach who served as an intermediary for Nix’s operation. By June 2019, Puig had accumulated $282,900 in losses on wagers involving tennis, football, and basketball games.
None of the wagers placed by Puig involved baseball games.
To partially settle the debt, Puig withdrew $200,000 from a Bank of America branch in Glendale, California, and purchased two $100,000 cashier’s checks payable to an associate of Nix, prosecutors said.
Evidence presented at trial showed Puig placed an additional 899 bets through Nix-controlled websites and Kadokawa from July to September 2019, totaling at least 900 wagers overall. During the 2022 videoconference interview, conducted without an attorney present, Puig denied any knowledge of the gambling business, its participants, or his own betting activities.
Prosecutors also played audio recordings where Puig admitted in a subsequent WhatsApp message to an associate that he had chosen not to fully cooperate with investigators.
Initially, Puig agreed to plead guilty in August 2022 to one count of making false statements, when he was facing a potential penalty of a fine and a fine of at least $55,000. However, he withdrew the plea in November 2022, stating, “I want to clear my name. I never should have agreed to plead guilty to a crime I did not commit.” He pleaded not guilty in February 2023, which led to the trial.
“We are obviously disappointed in this verdict… We believe we have good grounds to reverse the verdict and will fight on,” Puig’s defense attorney, Keri Curtis Axel told reporters after the conviction.
Puig faces up to 20 years in federal prison following the conviction, including a maximum of 10 years for the obstruction of justice count and 5 years for each of the two false statements counts. He was released on bond following the verdict, with sentencing scheduled for May 26, 2026.
A native of Cuba, Puig defected in 2012 and signed a seven-year, $42 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers that June. He took the league by storm upon making his debut on June 3, 2013.
Known for his powerful arm, speed, and hitting prowess, Puig batted .319 with 19 home runs in his rookie season, earning a spot on Baseball America’s All-Rookie team and finishing second in National League Rookie of the Year voting. Over seven MLB seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, and the Cleveland Indians, Puig compiled a .277 batting average, 132 home runs, 415 RBIs, and 79 stolen bases in 861 games.
After 2019, he played in the Mexican League, the KBO League for the Kiwoom Heroes in 2022, and returned to the Heroes in 2025.
