(Photo : Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – Wander Franco (#5) of the Tampa Bay Rays reacts throughout the 93rd MLB All-Star Game introduced by Mastercard at T-Mobile Park on July 11, 2023 in Seattle, Washington.
Dominican Republic authorities confirmed {that a} raid has been carried out on the 2 properties owned by Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco regarding accusations that he’s having a relationship with a minor.
The accusations in opposition to Franco, 22, first surfaced in August this yr. Local authorities began the investigations in the identical month, and Tampa Bay Rays determined to right away put him on administrative depart, though he was reinstated within the 40-man roster by November.
House raids
Well-known Dominican Republic publication Listin Diario reported that the police and the Santo Domingo Prosecutor’s Office for Children and Adolescents searched the 2 homes owned by Franco to search for him.
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The first house is occupied by his mom in Bani, and Franco occupies the opposite in Villa Real. Neighbors mentioned the authorities additionally left messages with Franco’s spouse.
The authorities didn’t discover Franco in any of the residences.
Now, a neighborhood court docket has determined to summon him for questioning.
ESPN Deportes reported that the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Children and Adolescents made a public announcement regarding Franco’s case. The report reads:
“In a bailiff’s act sent at the request of Olga Diná Llaverías , Attorney General of the Court of Appeal and director of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Children and Adolescents, Franco and his lawyers are informed that the baseball player must attend on Thursday the 28th. December at 11 in the morning to the headquarters of the judicial body in the city of Santo Domingo.”
Complainants and league motion
There are at the least two individuals who filed authorized actions in opposition to the rising Tampa Bay Rays participant, whereas one other investigation is being thought of for his relationship with a 3rd minor.
The complainants revealed that Franco engaged in relationships with them after they have been nonetheless minors and the participant was 18, the nation’s age of consent.
A neighborhood sports activities editor named Hector Gomez reported on December 27 that new proof discovered “further implicates him in the accusations that have been made against him of alleged relationships with minors.”
The league put him on administrative depart, a transfer his membership totally supported.
“We support Major League Baseball’s decision to place Wander Franco on Administration Leave,” the Rays mentioned in a press release after MLB’s announcement in August.
“The Tampa Bay Rays are dedicated to upholding high standards of integrity both on and off the field. We appreciate the understanding and patience of our fans and supporters as this process unfolds.”
Franco’s denial
Franco, who made the All-Star this yr, instantly denied the accusations. In an Instagram Live, he referred to them as “gossip.”
“They say that I’m in public with a little girl, that I’m running around with a minor,” he informed his viewers.
“People don’t know what to do with their time. They don’t know what they’re talking about. That’s why I prefer to be on my side and not get involved with anybody … because people gossip and talk smack.”
Franco is projected as a rising star within the league. He simply signed an 11-year, $182 million extension in 2021.
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