Rays SS Wander Franco faces potential 5-year prison term

Prosecutors on Monday recommended a five-year prison sentence for Wander Franco, the suspended Tampa Bay Rays shortstop who is charged with sexual abuse of a minor in his native Dominican Republic.
With closing arguments complete, a panel of three judges will begin deliberations and the presiding judge case said he will announce a verdict on Thursday.
Franco also faced charges of human trafficking and sexual exploitation of a minor, stemming from a relationship he had with a girl who was 14 at the time. However, only the sexual abuse charge is being pursued, according to a release from the public prosecutor’s office.
Franco’s defense team, meanwhile, claims there is a lack of evidence and is arguing for the case to be dismissed altogether, according to ESPN.
The prosecutors also requested 10 years in prison for the victim’s mother, who is accused of sexual exploitation of minors and money laundering for allegedly accepting money from Franco to consent to the relationship.
Franco, 24, was a rising Major League Baseball star in August 2023 when he was placed on administrative leave amid allegations he engaged in a relationship with an underage girl. He was moved to the MLB’s restricted list in July and remains the subject of an MLB investigation.
Franco remains under contract to the Rays, who signed him to an 11-year, $182 million contract extension in 2021. He is not paid while on the MLB restricted list.