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A California judge ruled federal prosecutors cannot use former MLB All-Star Yasiel Puig's now-retracted guilty plea to a charge of lying to investigators as evidence during his upcoming obstruction of justice case in the Wayne Nix illegal bookie scandal.
The Nix case has gained traction in recent weeks as reports surface that federal agents out of Southern California are now investigating claims that some Las Vegas casino executives used property assets such as casino chips and promos to pay off sports betting debts. There are also allegations that customer data was compromised.
In November 2022, Puig pled guilty to lying to federal law enforcement officers regarding bets that he placed with the illegal sports betting operation. He faces up to five years in prison. Later that month, he changed his plea to not guilty.
Puig announced last week his intention to begin playing again, just not in the USA. Puig will instead be joining Estrellas Orientalas in the Dominican Republic. He last played in the Major League Baseball in 2018 for the LA Dodgers.
Last month, U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee tentatively denied the government's request to find that Puig knowingly breached the plea agreement he signed a year ago.
Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney's Office in LA sought this ruling to ensure the case can be expedited for a yet-to-be-determined trial date.
- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com
