Rays’ Franco guilty of sexual abuse, gets suspended sentence

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was found guilty of sexual abuse of a minor in the Dominican Republic and received a suspended two-year prison sentence Thursday after he had a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl when he was 21.

Though prosecutors sought a five-year sentence, Judge Jakayra Veras said Franco would not serve further prison time unless he ran afoul of certain conditions, including not contacting minors with sexual intentions.

The mother of the victim, Martha Vanessa Chevalier Almonte, was convicted of sexually trafficking her daughter and sentenced to 10 years in prison after prosecutors proved she sought financial gains from Franco and laundered money.

Franco, who is on Major League Baseball’s restricted list for failure to report to the team, is likely to have difficulty receiving a work visa in the United States because of the conviction. Should he not secure the visa, he would remain on the restricted list. As long as Franco is on the restricted list, the Rays would not be required to pay the salaries from his 11-year, $182 million contract.

MLB’s investigation into Franco remains open. He could be further disciplined under the league’s domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy.

“Major League Baseball is proud to have a collectively bargained Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy that reflects our commitment to these issues,” the league said in a statement. “We are aware of today’s verdict in the Wander Franco trial and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time.”

Social media posts in August 2023 alleged that Franco had been in an inappropriate relationship with a teenage girl. Though Franco denied the allegations, MLB and the MLB Players Association struck a deal to put him on paid administrative leave. He remained there until he was charged in July 2024, at which point MLB put him on the restricted list.

Franco met the girl online and had sex with her twice in December 2022, according to prosecutors. To see her in person, he would send helicopters or cars to pick her up near her hometown of Puerto Plata and bring her to his home in Bani. When police raided the girl’s home, they found $68,500 in U.S. dollars and another 800,000 Dominican pesos (around $13,700), according to prosecutors.

At one point the top prospect in baseball, Franco debuted at 20 years old in 2021 and was an immediate star for Tampa Bay, which had signed him as a 16-year-old for $3.8 million. After his second season, the Rays negotiated a long-term deal with Franco, the largest in franchise history. Before the allegations, Franco was in the midst of a breakout season in 2023 and named an All-Star for the first time.

In an unrelated event, Franco was charged in June by prosecutors in the Dominican Republic for illegal possession of a handgun after an altercation in a parking lot in San Juan de la Maguana. That case is still pending in court.