(DC Pundit) – Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, once celebrated as one of baseball’s brightest young stars, has officially been convicted of sexually abusing a minor in his home country of the Dominican Republic. The verdict was handed down on Thursday, capping off nearly a year of legal trouble that began with disturbing allegations in mid-2023.
The court found Franco guilty of engaging in a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl while he was 21. Though prosecutors had sought a five-year sentence, Judge Jakayra Veras issued a suspended two-year prison sentence, meaning Franco will avoid incarceration so long as he meets a set of conditions, including not contacting minors for sexual purposes. The leniency of the sentence has outraged many, especially given the severity of the offense.
The mother of the victim, Martha Vanessa Chevalier Almonte, was also convicted in connection with the case. Prosecutors successfully argued that she trafficked her daughter for financial gain and laundered money received from Franco. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The now-convicted MLB player had allegedly met the teenager online and initiated contact, eventually arranging for her to be transported, sometimes by helicopter or chauffeured vehicle, from her hometown in Puerto Plata to his residence in Bani. Prosecutors stated that Franco had sex with the minor on two occasions in December 2022. When police later searched the girl’s home, they found $68,500 in U.S. currency and 800,000 Dominican pesos, further evidence used against both Franco and the girl’s mother.
NEW: Tampa Bay Rays' Wander Franco found guilty of s*xually abusing a minor after getting approval from the child's mother.
Prosecutors say the girl's mother was paid tens of thousands of dollars, and the child was flown by helicopter to his home.
Franco will avoid spending any… pic.twitter.com/IsUeIkdBlj
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 27, 2025
Following the allegations that first surfaced in August 2023, Franco initially denied any wrongdoing. However, the MLB and the MLB Players Association quickly acted, placing him on paid administrative leave while the matter was under review. In July 2024, after he was formally charged, he was placed on the restricted list. As long as Franco remains on that list, the Rays are not required to pay the remainder of his 11-year, $182 million contract, ironically shielding the franchise from the financial fallout of his actions.
Major League Baseball has kept its own investigation open throughout the ordeal and issued a statement following Thursday’s conviction: “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. We are aware of today’s verdict in the Wander Franco trial and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time.”
Franco, once considered the top prospect in all of baseball, signed with the Rays at just 16 years old for $3.8 million. He made his debut in 2021 at the age of 20 and was hailed as a future cornerstone of the franchise. He was having a breakout year in 2023 and had been named to his first All-Star Game before the allegations surfaced.
To make matters worse, Franco is facing an entirely separate legal issue. In June, Dominican prosecutors charged him with illegal possession of a handgun after a dispute in a parking lot in San Juan de la Maguana. That case remains pending.
Franco’s future in baseball, and in the United States, now looks bleak. The conviction is likely to prevent him from obtaining a work visa, which would bar him from returning to play in MLB. If that happens, it’s possible that his professional career at the top level is effectively over.
For Major League Baseball, the challenge now is to hold the line on accountability and ensure that the league’s standards reflect more than just public relations statements.
Copyright 2025. DCPundit.com | Featured image credit: Casey Aguinaldo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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