Wander Franco’s Legal Case in the Dominican Republic

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was found criminally responsible for the sexual and psychological abuse of a minor, yet he will not face a sentence. This decision came from a Dominican judge on Monday.

Judge José Antonio Núñez cited that Franco had been extorted and blackmailed by the minor’s mother. The mother received a 10-year prison sentence for sexually trafficking her daughter. “It seems contradictory to declare criminal responsibility and, at the same time, exempt him from punishment,” Núñez stated. “The court has granted Wander Franco a judicial pardon due to the particular circumstances that made him a material victim, but not a legal one.”

Núñez justified the judicial pardon as “logical and legal reasoning.” Following the ruling, Franco expressed gratitude, embracing his mother, Nancy Aybar, and family members present in the courtroom.

Franco’s arrest occurred in January 2024 after claims emerged of a four-month relationship with a 14-year-old girl. He allegedly transferred thousands of dollars to the girl’s mother to facilitate the illegal relationship. While he faced charges of sexual and commercial exploitation of a minor and human trafficking, a prior verdict had found him not guilty of those allegations.

After exiting the courthouse alongside his lawyer, Teodosio Jáquez, Franco briefly conversed with reporters. He revealed feeling calm and requested that fans continue to support and trust him. Franco mentioned that his lawyers, not himself, had made contact with the Rays.

In response, Major League Baseball released a statement acknowledging the verdict and indicating that their investigation would conclude at the appropriate time.

Jáquez commented, “We don’t have the physical sentence in our hands, but he was exempted from punishment because the president of the court established that he was also a victim and because he is exempted from punishment through judicial pardon.” The attorney assured that more details would be provided after receiving the full sentence on June 16.

In November 2021, Franco signed an 11-year, $182 million contract with the Rays. His career took a significant hit when, in August 2023, Dominican authorities began investigating him for an alleged relationship with a minor. He was 22 at the time of investigation.

Six months post-arrest, Tampa Bay placed him on the restricted list, halting the pay he received during his administrative leave.