Emmanuel Clase de la Cruz and Luis Leandro Ortiz, two current Major League Baseball players (MLB) in the Cleveland Guardians organization, were charged on Sunday in a sports betting and money laundering scheme in a Brooklyn federal court.

The players are alleged to have had roles in a scheme to rig bets on pitches thrown in MLB games beginning early in the 2023 season. They face a list of charges including wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sports betting by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the players allegedly received bribes and kickbacks for their role in the scheme over several MLB seasons.

“Luis Leandro Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase de la Cruz allegedly rigged their pitches in

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