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An appeals court on Tuesday ordered a new trial in the Dominican Republic for convicted Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, who was found guilty of sexually abusing a minor, resulting in a two-year suspended prison sentence.
Franco’s lawyers pushed to have the 24-year-old’s sentence postponed and the sentencing overturned. At the same time, prosecutors had sought five years in prison for the Rays star player.
Franco’s side was ultimately what the appeals court ruled in favor of Tuesday, ordering a new panel of judges to oversee his case.
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Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco sits in court during his trial on charges of sexual abuse of a minor, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)
“The court understood that there were many errors, many omissions … many questions and decided to send the case for a new trial,” Tedosio Jáquez, Franco’s lawyer, said after the ruling.
Prosecutor José Martínez Montan, who serves as district attorney for the province of Puerto Plata, maintains his position that the evidence in the first trial was sufficient to convict Franco.
RAYS’ WANDER FRANCO FOUND GUILTY IN CHILD SEX CASE
“In a new trial the procedures will be re-evaluated. We won the case in the first trial and we expect the same in the new trial,” explained Montan.
Franco was arrested last year after being accused of having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old while he was 21 years old. He was also charged with sexual and commercial exploitation of a minor and human trafficking.
Dominican baseball star Wander Franco gestures as he leaves court in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic on June 26, 2025. Franco was given a two-year suspended sentence after being found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage girl. (LUIS TAVAREZ/AFP)
Martha Vanessa Chevalier Almonte, mother of the victim, was also found guilty of sex trafficking her daughter and sentenced to 10 years in prison. She was also granted a new trial on Tuesday.
Franco transferred thousands of dollars to the victim’s mother to consent to the illicit relationship.
The last time the switch-hitting shortstop played in the MLB was August 2023 before he was placed on administrative leave after allegations surfaced.
Now, Franco remains on MLB’s restricted list, and his current conviction could make it unlikely for him to get a work visa in the United States and play for the Rays again.
Dominican baseball star Wander Franco gestures during his trial in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic on June 26, 2025. Franco was sentenced to two years of probation after being found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage girl. (Luis Tavarez/AFP)
He signed an 11-year, $182 million contract with Tampa Bay in November 2021, cementing himself as a cornerstone to build around for years to come. The contract could have been worth up to $223 million with a club option.
