Cleveland Guardians pitchers charged with bribery

Two Dominican pitchers from the Cleveland Guardians, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, have been charged with accepting bribes.

They allegedly provided sports bettors with advance notice of pitch types and intentionally threw balls instead of strikes to influence wagers.

According to the charges, the players received several thousand dollars in payments to help two unidentified bettors from the Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 through live bets on pitch speed and outcomes.

Clase, a former Guardians closer, and Ortiz, a starting pitcher, have been on paid non-disciplinary leave since July, when Major League Baseball (MLB) began investigating unusually high betting activity during games they pitched. The games in question occurred in April, May and June.

Ortiz, 26, was arrested by the FBI Sunday morning at Boston's Logan International Airport and is expected to appear in federal court Monday. Clase, 27, is not yet in custody, authorities said.

Federal Prosecutor Joseph Nocella Jr. said: "Ortiz and Clase betrayed America's pastime sport. Integrity, honesty and fair play are part of the DNA of professional sports. When corruption infiltrates sport, it not only dishonors the participants but also damages public trust in an institution that is vital and dear to all of us."

Ortiz's attorney, Chris Georgalis, said in a statement his client was innocent and "has never unduly influenced a game, nor would he, for anyone or anything." Georgalis noted the defense had previously documented for prosecutors that payments and money transfers between Ortiz and people in the Dominican Republic were for legal activities.

Clase's attorney, Michael J. Ferrara, said his client: "has dedicated his life to baseball and doing everything possible to help his team win. Emmanuel is innocent of all charges and looks forward to clearing his name in court."

MLB said it contacted federal authorities when it began investigating unusual betting activity and has cooperated fully with authorities. The Guardians said they would continue cooperating with law enforcement and MLB.

The charges include conspiracy to commit wire fraud, honest services fraud, money laundering and conspiracy to influence sporting contests through bribery. The main charges carry a potential punishment of up to 20 years in prison.

According to the indictment, Clase invited a bettor to an April game against the Boston Red Sox and spoke with him by phone just before taking the mound. Four minutes later, the bettor and associates won $11,000 on a bet that Clase would throw a certain pitch slower than 97.95 mph.