PUERTO PLATA: A Dominican Republic appeals court revoked baseball player Wander Franco’s judicial pardon on Thursday and imposed a suspended three-year prison sentence for sexually and psychologically abusing a minor.
Franco, 25, will remain free as long as he complies with court-imposed conditions, including maintaining a fixed residence and submitting to judicial supervision. Breaching those conditions could require him to serve the sentence in prison.
Prosecutors successfully challenged the earlier pardon, arguing that the lower court had incorrectly applied legal provisions intended for exceptional circumstances. They maintained that Franco’s case did not meet those requirements. His defence opposed the prosecution’s application.
The Court of Appeal in Puerto Plata nevertheless ruled against Franco, who had been found guilty but spared punishment through a judicial pardon in May.
Conditions attached to the suspended sentence include avoiding contact with the victim and places she frequents. A sentence-enforcement judge will oversee compliance with the court’s rules.
Franco was arrested in January 2024 after allegations that he had sexually abused a girl who was 14 at the time. Prosecutors accused him of transferring thousands of dollars to her mother in connection with the abuse.
Separately, the appeals court upheld the mother’s 10-year prison sentence for commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering.
Neither Franco nor his lawyers gave statements to reporters as they left the courthouse. Major League Baseball (MLB) declined to comment.
Read More: Tampa Bay Rays’ Wander Franco: Uncertain MLB Future Amidst Minor Relationship Allegations
Once a starting shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays, Franco signed an 11-year, $182 million contract with the club in 2021. He has not appeared in an MLB game since August 2023, when the investigation interrupted his playing career.
Tampa Bay subsequently placed him on its restricted list, ending his pay while the legal proceedings continued.
Franco retains the right to challenge the latest ruling before the Dominican Republic’s Supreme Court of Justice.
(With additional input from AP and Diario Libre)
