Overview
- FBI agents arrested Emmanuel Clase at JFK after he flew in from the Dominican Republic, and he entered a not‑guilty plea in Brooklyn federal court.
- Judge Joseph Marutollo set Clase’s bond at $600,000, ordered passport surrender and GPS monitoring, and barred contact with alleged co‑conspirators or any gambling.
- Luis Ortiz pleaded not guilty a day earlier and was released on a $500,000 bond with GPS monitoring, passport surrendered, a travel limit to New York, Massachusetts and Ohio, and a prohibition on gambling.
- Prosecutors allege Clase began coordinating pitch outcomes in 2023 and recruited Ortiz in June 2025, citing first‑pitch balls thrown into the dirt and specific bribes of $5,000 and $7,000 tied to June games.
- Both players are charged with wire fraud and honest‑services fraud conspiracies, a bribery conspiracy tied to influencing sporting contests, and money‑laundering conspiracy, with a Dec. 2 status conference set and MLB already capping single‑pitch wagers at $200 and banning them from parlays.