Cincinnati Reds right fielder Yasiel Puig (66) exits the field for the final time as a Reds player at the end of the top of the ninth inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Tuesday, July 30, 2019. The Pirates won 11-4. Pittsburgh Pirates At Cincinnati Reds
Syndication: Cincinnati
Attorneys representing former Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig in a sports gambling investigation have claimed federal prosecutors are demonstrating anti-Black bias in their pursuit of charges.
The 32-year-old and one-time All-Star is facing two federal counts of obstructing justice and making false statements. That translates into a potential penalty of a decade in prison.
In the federal court filing, well-known civil right attorney Ben Crump has claimed the government has treated witnesses differently based on race.
“The government has charged (Puig) with what they claim are false statements and obstruction resulting from a single interview, when others who were actually involved in the gambling ring – who lied and destroyed evidence – were not so charged,” Crump declared in a statement on Monday. “Yasiel Puig was just a witness, and he was charged, reprimanded, and made an example of more than the non-Black men who were the actual targets of investigation.”
The 32-year-old and one-time All-Star is facing two federal counts of obstructing justice and making false statements. That translates into a potential penalty of a decade in prison. In a plea deal that he later withdrew from this past August, Puig admitted he racked up over $280,000 in sports gambling losses (though not baseball) in an operation headed by former minor leaguer Wayne Nix.
Nix pleaded guilty in April for actions associated with his illegal sports betting business; prosecutors claim it was active for over 20 years and included current and former athletes within its ranks.
As for Puig, it is unclear how the case will proceed with Crump’s assertion. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined comment Monday. They did say that prosecutors would respond to allegations of bias through court filings.
