Federal authorities today unsealed an indictment charging two current Major League Baseball (MLB) players, Emmanuel Clase de la Cruz and Luis Leandro Ortiz Ribera, with running a conspiracy to rig pitches in MLB games for the benefit of corrupt sports bettors, who allegedly won hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent wagers.
The two Cleveland Guardians pitchers face multiple felony counts, including wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy.
Allegations of Rigging Pitches for Profit
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the defendants agreed in advance with co-conspirators on specific pitches they would throw, allowing bettors to place lucrative wagers based on advance, non-public information.
- Emmanuel Clase de la Cruz, a relief pitcher, allegedly began the scheme around May 2023. The indictment claims he coordinated with bettors on the speed and type of his pitches, often the first pitch of an at-bat.
- To ensure certain pitches were called balls, Clase often threw them “in the dirt, well outside the strike zone.”
- Through this scheme, Clase allegedly caused his co-conspirator bettors to win at least $400,000 in fraudulent wagers.
- Luis Leandro Ortiz Ribera, a starting pitcher, allegedly joined the scheme in June 2025.
- Ortiz, along with Clase, agreed to throw balls instead of strikes on specific pitches in at least two games in exchange for bribes and kickbacks totaling $12,000 for Ortiz and $12,000 for Clase for arranging the rigged pitches.
- Ortiz’s alleged actions caused co-conspirators to win at least $60,000 in fraudulent wagers.
Official Statements and Arrest
United States Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr. condemned the alleged actions, stating, “As alleged, the defendants sold that trust to gamblers by fixing pitches… They defrauded the online betting platforms… And they betrayed America’s pastime.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia echoed the sentiment, noting the defendants’ “alleged greed not only established an unfair advantage for select bettors, but also sullied the reputation of America’s pastime.”
Ortiz was arrested earlier today in Boston, Massachusetts, and is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court tomorrow, November 10, 2025. Clase is currently not in U.S. custody.
The maximum penalty for a conviction on the most serious charges is 20 years’ imprisonment per count.
READ: NCAA Revokes Eligibility Of 6 College Basketball Players From 3 Teams In Sports Betting Scandal
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