'Former Kiwoom' Puig Lies Up to 15 Years of Crisis for Perjury "Unrestrained, but Restricted Departure → Final Sentence in May"

*This content was translated by AI.

Yasiel Puig (36), who played in major leagues such as the LA Dodgers and played for the KBO League Kiwoom Heroes, was eventually convicted in a U.S. court. A case that could once have been concluded with a fine is on the verge of being sentenced to a "prisonment sentence" for lying in the process of pleading not guilty.

The Athletic, a U.S. sports media outlet, reported on the 7th that a federal court in Los Angeles, California, unanimously found Puig guilty of obstruction of justice and false statements. The trial lasted about two weeks from Jan. 20, and the key issue was whether Puig intentionally lied to investigators.

Puig's case dates back to 2022, according to the media. At the time, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation was investigating a large illegal sports gambling organization run by former minor league pitcher Wayne Nicks. Puig, who was investigated by the prosecution as a reference, stated, "I only know the officials of the gambling organization about baseball, but I have no idea about gambling."

However, the prosecution's investigation found that Puig bet 899 times on tennis, basketball, and American football through the organization in 2019 alone, and lost about $1.5 million (about 2.2 billion won). Prosecutors presented hundreds of text messages Puig shared with gambling brokers and audio transcripts of him saying he would not "cooperate with the investigation" as decisive evidence.

Puig admitted to the charges at the time in August 2022 and agreed with the prosecution to pay a fine of $55,000 (about 80 million won). However, Puig recently pleaded not guilty, breaking the agreement and seeking a formal trial, saying, "I am not good at English and have cognitive impairment, so I agreed without understanding the investigation."

Puig's request for trial resulted in a handshake. The jury found Puig's intentions to deceive investigators were clear. Under U.S. law, charges of obstruction of justice can be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison and false statements can be sentenced to up to 15 years in arithmetic.

However, the court did not arrest Puig in court on the same day because it judged that the risk of him fleeing was low. However, before the final sentence in May, it was restricted to obtain prior approval from the court when departing abroad. It is not a ban on leaving the country. Puig's lawyer hinted at the possibility of an appeal, but local media predict that it will not be easy to avoid a prison sentence as the jury has already convicted him. A sentencing hearing to determine the final sentence was set for May 27.

Puig is a familiar name to baseball fans in Korea. He was famous as a teammate who played with Ryu Hyun-jin (39, Hanwha Eagles) at the time when he played for the Los Angeles Dodgers from the 2013 season to the 2018 season. In the 2022 and 2025 seasons, he commanded the KBO League stage by wearing Kiwoom uniforms. In particular, he played 126 games in the 2022 season and recorded a batting average of 0.277 (131 hits in 473 at-bats) with 21 home runs and 73 RBIs. However, in the 2025 season, it was not good with a batting average of 0.212 in 40 games, and the contract was terminated midway due to a shoulder injury.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.