Emmanuel Clase arrested at JFK, pleads not guilty in pitch rigging case

Cleveland Guardian's All-Star pitcher Emmanuel Clase was arrested astatine JFK airdrome and brought to a Brooklyn courtroom to beryllium arraigned Thursday for his alleged engagement successful what prosecutors telephone a "scheme to rig bets connected pitches thrown during Major League Baseball games." 

An imposing beingness connected the mound, Clase showed small emotion successful national tribunal arsenic helium entered a not blameworthy plea, spending overmuch of the proceedings leaning backmost successful his seat with arms folded and astatine times wiping sweat from his face. When archetypal arriving successful court, Clase looked amazed by the size of the assemblage successful the gallery. 

Clase is among the latest athletes implicated successful a wide-ranging national gambling probe that has spanned crossed American sports leagues. The arrests item a caller menace to the integrity of nonrecreational sports amid an detonation of legalized betting successful the U.S.

The charges against the pitcher were announced Sunday, and see ligament fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to power sporting contests by bribery, and wealth laundering conspiracy. Clase flew to New York connected Thursday greeting from his autochthonal Dominican Republic and was joined successful the courtroom by his lawyer, Michael Ferrera, to look the gambling allegations. Clase's woman and young girl remained retired of the country. 

U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo asked if Clase understood the charges against him, and, aft a tiny sidebar with an interpreter and his attorney, Clase answered successful the affirmative. 

Cleveland Guardians shot subordinate Emmanuel Clase leaves Brooklyn national tribunal connected Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, successful New York. Yuki Iwamura / AP

In a bid to forgo determination monitoring, Ferrera noted that Clase agreed to surrender his passport and had returned to the U.S. voluntarily. He was besides moving to person his woman and girl articulation him successful the U.S., Ferrera said. But Judge Marutollo remained adamant that Clase's fiscal presumption and ties to his location state made determination monitoring indispensable to curtail the hazard of him fleeing. Clase was released connected $600,000 bond. 

Clase's teammate and co-defendant, chap pitcher Luis Ortiz, was arraigned successful tribunal Wednesday connected akin charges. Ortiz appeared solemn and tense astatine times, utilizing an interpreter to explicate his bail bundle to him. He was joined successful the courtroom by his wife, Susan.  

Ortiz, who is besides a Dominican national, was released connected $500,000 enslaved and fixed a determination monitoring instrumentality to deterioration until a 2nd enactment tin assistance unafraid his bail. The justice besides expressed concerns that Ortiz could beryllium considered a formation hazard fixed his wealthiness and connections to the Dominican Republic. 

Ortiz did not respond to questions arsenic helium exited the courthouse connected Wednesday. Walking limb successful limb with his wife, helium seemed overwhelmed by the magnitude of attraction the lawsuit was gathering. 

The 2 pitchers person been connected non-disciplinary permission since July aft Major League Baseball opened its probe into their imaginable engagement successful skewing their pitches to assistance bettors. That probe remains ongoing by the league. In a connection earlier this week, MLB announced caller restrictions connected prop bets wagered connected the sport, including wager caps connected pitch-level markets astatine $200.

Chris Georgalis, Ortiz's lawyer, told CBS News that their lawsuit had "extensively explained and documented to the authorities earlier these charges were brought [that] Luis' payments and different transfers of wealth betwixt him and individuals successful the Dominican Republic were for lawful activities."

"Notably, the indictment wholly lacks immoderate alleged grounds connecting Luis to these alleged bettors oregon demonstrating immoderate purposeful engagement successful a scheme," Georgalis said. 

Seth Zuckerman, a transgression defence lawyer and erstwhile elder adjunct territory lawyer with the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office, spoke to CBS News astir the lawsuit and what the defence mightiness do.

"I deliberation a bully defence of these players is, these guys are making millions, and they allegedly got what, $5,000? For pitches similar that, that doesn't marque sense," Zuckerman said. 

Zuckerman said that portion the authorities whitethorn person grounds from the slope transactions, prosecutors volition person the load of proving the pitchers acted with an intent to deceive. 

"Do they person texts oregon emails? What grounds is retired determination that connects them to the gamblers, the radical who were making wealth disconnected of this information?" helium asked. 

In statements to CBS News, lawyers for some Guardians pitchers maintained their clients' innocence. Ortiz's lawyer said determination are questions regarding the spot of the grounds against his client. 

Clase and Ortiz are not the lone MLB players to beryllium wrapped up successful a sports betting-related scandal. A CBS News investigation recovered that successful the past 5 years, respective players person been suspended oregon banned for breaking Rule 21, which prohibits players from betting connected the sport. In 1 case, erstwhile San Diego Padres shortstop Tucupita Marcano was banned from the league for life, the archetypal subordinate to person that punishment successful astir a century. 

In summation to those cases, determination was past year's blockbuster lawsuit involving Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani's interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, who pleaded blameworthy to charges stemming from debts helium had accrued betting connected nonrecreational sports utilizing an amerciable bookmaker. 

Clase's apprehension besides comes connected the heels of a caller announcement from national instrumentality enforcement officials of a betting strategy allegedly involving NBA subordinate Terry Rozier and manager Chauncey Billups, who were arrested a fewer weeks ago by national agents. 

Clase and Ortiz are owed backmost successful tribunal successful December for a presumption league earlier District Judge Matsumoto.