The U.S. Department of Justice announced Sunday that Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery and conspiracy to commit money laundering, for allegedly rigging bets through their pitching in MLB games.
According to prosecutors, the alleged victims of the fraud are sports betting platforms, the Cleveland Guardians and Major League Baseball (MLB).
The charges follow similar ones recently brought against Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Hall of Fame player Chauncey Billups, and former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones, who have all been accused of participating in fraud tied to sports betting or poker.
According to an indictment unsealed by U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr., for the Eastern District of New York, Clase began conspiring with an unnamed bettor in May 2023. Clase is accused of informing the bettor about the types of pitches he would throw in games—such as a slider on the first pitch or pitches slower than 95 miles per hour. The bettor allegedly relayed that information to others, enabling them to place bets and parlays based on Clase’s pitching. Clase then acted accordingly, including when the Guardians played the Minnesota Twins on June 3, 2023. In that game, Clase allegedly threw a slider into the dirt “well before home plate,” as described in the indictment, to ensure a bet was successful.
Clase, 27, is also accused of receiving kickbacks from the conspirators and violating MLB rules by using his cell phone during games to coordinate with bettors. The indictment details alleged texts sent by Clase and his co-conspirator during games, including messages where Clase asked if the bettor was “ready” before intentionally throwing a pitch into the dirt.
The indictment also refers to Clase electronically transferring money to a bettor. In addition, he was allegedly caught on camera by bank security withdrawing approximately $50,000 in cash from a bank on June 27, 2025.
Ortiz, who allegedly joined the criminal scheme in June 2025, faces similar allegations. Like Clase, the 26-year-old pitcher is accused of agreeing to throw certain pitches in exchange for payment. Ortiz also allegedly sent incriminating text messages and participated in electronic transfers of funds.
Further, Ortiz and Clase are depicted as coordinating the conspiracy. For example, on June 19, 2025, Clase allegedly sent Ortiz a photograph of a receipt for a wire transfer of approximately 90,000 pesos (roughly $4,900 under current exchange rates), along with an audio message instructing Ortiz to get his associates in the Dominican Republic to lie about the purpose of the funds.
Ortiz was allegedly directed to say, “this payment is for a horse. Payment for a horse. You got that?” to which he reportedly replied, “Okay, perfect.”
Clase and Ortiz are described as receiving $5,000 payments for throwing rigged pitches or arranging for them to be thrown—a modest sum compared to their salaries. In 2022, the Guardians signed Clase to a five-year deal worth $20 million. Ortiz earned $782,600 in 2025, per Spotrac.
Participating in bets is strictly prohibited by MLB, specifically under Rule 21, which calls for a lifetime ban of any player, manager, or coach who bets on their own team. Last year, MLB imposed such a ban on San Diego Padres third baseman Tucupita Marcano, whom MLB found had placed nearly 400 bets on baseball from 2022 to 2023. Clase and Ortiz had already come under MLB scrutiny for their suspicious pitches, with both being placed on non-disciplinary paid leave in July as the league investigated.
However, Clase and Ortiz are not in trouble with the Justice Department for betting or merely attempting to fix the outcome by throwing errant pitches. Their alleged crime focuses on fraud and advancing a fraudulent conspiracy through electronic transactions and communications, with betting platforms, the Guardians and MLB among the victims.
They allegedly engaged in wire fraud conspiracy by scheming to defraud betting platforms and obtaining money from those platforms through “materially false and fraudulent pretenses [and] representations.” Clase and Ortiz also allegedly used interstate and foreign wire communications to advance their scheme.
They’re further accused of honest services wire fraud, a noteworthy charge that has played an instrumental role in the sports world of late. The DOJ used this against parents in the Operation Varsity Blues case. There, colleges were deprived of their employees’ honest services because admissions staff and coaches accepted parents’ bribes. Analogously, Clase and Ortiz are depicted as defrauding the Guardians and MLB by denying them their honest services through bribery and kickbacks.
Clase and Ortiz are facing serious legal trouble. While every criminal defendant is innocent until proven guilty, data indicates a harsher reality. According to Pew Research, only 290 of 71,954 federal defendants (0.4%) in 2022 went to trial and were acquitted, while 89.5% pleaded guilty. The odds of acquittal in a federal criminal case are typically bleak.
If convicted, sentenced to the maximum for each offense, and if their sentences were to run consecutively instead of concurrently, Clase and Ortiz could theoretically face 65 years in prison each. In reality, they’re unlikely to receive sentences nearing that length, but they could face significant prison time. The risk of imprisonment could eventually lead them to try to negotiate plea deals.
In statements released to the media, the Guardians said they will “continue to fully cooperate with both law enforcement and Major League Baseball as their investigations continue.” MLB stated it “contacted federal law enforcement at the outset of its investigation and has fully cooperated throughout the process,” and added that its investigation is “ongoing.”
Expect the Clase and Ortiz charges to ignite further debate about the availability of prop bets and similar forms of gambling, which can be difficult to monitor for integrity. Whether it’s a pitcher throwing a slow pitch in the sixth inning, a basketball player ensuring he doesn’t register more than three rebounds in the second quarter, or a tennis player making sure she deliberately hits the ball out when the score is 30-30 in the second set, all are vulnerable to athlete manipulation.
Sign up for Sportico's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
vs. Hawks, vs. Nuggets, at Mavericks, at Celtics 
at Mavericks, at Hornets, vs. Hornets, vs. Lakers
vs. Pelicans, at Mavericks, vs. Pacers, vs. Hawks 
at Magic, at Pelicans, at Rockets, at Mavericks 
at Bulls, vs. Warriors, vs. Warriors, vs. Kings 
