Former LA Dodgers star Yasiel Puig’s illegal sports betting trial draws closer as jury is selected

Former Los Angeles Dodgers right-fielder Yasiel Puig is preparing to head to trial for alleged involvement in an illegal sports betting operation.

The jury has been selected for the trial, due to be held in downtown Los Angeles for the former baseball star. Puig is facing federal charges of obstruction of justice and two counts of making false statements to federal investigators about involvement in a suspected illegal sports betting operation. The former sportsman continues to maintain his innocence after withdrawing a 2022 plea deal.

1- Former Dodgers outfielder could be facing 20 years in prison. Enigmatic and high-energy outfielder Yasiel Puig spent seven seasons in the major leagues but could be facing a much longer stint behind bars if he is found guilty of federal charges for allegedly lying to pic.twitter.com/p0GzQD2LZG

— Howard Prince (@Howodd69) January 20, 2026

Puig could face major prison time if convicted on counts of making false statements to law enforcement officials and obstruction of justice.

What did Puig do?

In the trial, the prosecutors are expected to allege that Puig placed 899 bets on various sporting events (none including baseball) via an illegal gambling business run by ex-minor league pitcher Wayne Nix. It’s been reported via court documents seen by Fox LA that Puig owed the business $282,900 in gambling losses as of June 2019.

A probe into the illegal gambling business began in 2017, leading to a January 2022 interview with Puig. This is where prosecutors allege that he lied, along with another claim of lying to federal investigators during his 2019 naturalization process when questioned about his gambling activities.

Officials involved in the investigation said that Nix’s money laundering efforts in an attempt to hide illegal gambling income from the IRS eventually led them to Puig.

Puig was a fan favorite during his time playing six seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers. before he moved to Cincinnati and Cleveland in 2019. After leaving Major League Baseball at the end of 2019, he went on to play professionally in South Korea, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela.

Featured image: Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0

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