Overview
- Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn unsealed charges alleging wire fraud and honest-services fraud conspiracies, bribery conspiracy, and money-laundering conspiracy, with each player facing a maximum of up to 65 years if convicted on all counts.
- Luis Ortiz was arrested Sunday at Boston’s Logan Airport and is set for a court appearance, while Emmanuel Clase was not in custody as of publication; both remain on paid administrative leave from MLB.
- Prosecutors say Clase began working with bettors in May 2023 and Ortiz joined in June 2025, agreeing in advance to throw specific pitches or target velocities, often opening at-bats with intentional balls thrown well outside the strike zone.
- The indictment details two Ortiz pitches on June 15 and June 27 that carried $5,000 and $7,000 bribes respectively for both players, and alleges bettors won at least $400,000 tied to Clase’s pitches and about $50,000 on Ortiz’s two flagged pitches.
- Alerts from a sportsbook and integrity firm IC360 triggered the probes; MLB says it alerted federal authorities and, with authorized sportsbooks, has now set a $200 nationwide cap on individual-pitch bets and barred their use in parlays, as the league weighs potential Rule 21 discipline.