Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz has some new conditions on his $500,000 bond while he awaits trial in a case where he's accused of rigging pitches for monetary gain.
During a hearing in Brooklyn federal court on Wednesday (Nov. 12), Magistrate Judge Joseph Marutollo ordered that Ortiz be banned from all forms of gambling while the case plays out — a condition that prosecutors did not ask for either at Wednesday's hearing or in Ortiz's first court appearance on Monday, at which the pitcher's bond was initially established.
In addition, Judge Marutollo ordered that Ortiz continue to be subject to location monitoring — also unasked for by prosecutors — due what the judge called his "enormous risk of flight."
"The defendant has significant monetary resources...and has significant connections in the Dominican Republic, including close family connections," Marutollo said.
The judge ordered that the location monitoring could be revisited in a week, when Ortiz is expected to add a second surety to his bond (in addition to his wife, who appeared in court on Wednesday), and by which time he will have property worth at least $250,000 attached to secure it.
A goateed Ortiz appeared in court wearing a black coat, a black collared shirt, and ripped jeans. Through a Spanish interpreter, he pleaded not guilty to all the counts against him. He is facing wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges, as well as a separate count of Conspiracy to Influence Sporting Contests by Bribery.
Ortiz and his teammate, pitcher Emmanuel Clase, are accused of receiving bribes and kickbacks in exchange for throwing rigged pitches in MLB games. Prosecutors allege the pair agreed to throw specific pitches — slower sliders or intentional balls — after receiving bribes, allowing bettors to place winning “prop” and “parlay” bets using insider information.
Clase will be arraigned in the case on Thursday (Nov. 13).
Also on Wednesday, there was a development in another pro sports related case — the "Operation Royal Flush" case involving allegedly fixed mob-run poker games that used pro basketball players as "face cards" to draw in high rollers.
Tony Goodson, accused of being one of the members of the cheating teams and with helping to supply the technology used in the rigged games, appeared in court to be arraigned on wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges. Goodson, known as "Black Tony," pleaded not guilty and was released on $250,000 bond.
However, Marutollo denied Goodson permission to take part in a family trip to Puerto Rico, despite the vacation already being approved by the court's Pretrial Services office.
