Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was found guilty of sexual abuse of a minor by a court in his native Dominican Republic on Thursday (June 26), however his two-year prison sentence has been suspended, ESPN's Jeff Passan and Juan Arturo Recio reported.
"BREAKING: Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was found guilty of sexual abuse of a minor in the Dominican Republic for an illegal sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl when he was 21. He received a two-year prison sentence, according to @JuanRecioM," Passan wrote on his X account. "Wander Franco's two-year prison sentence is suspended, according to @JuanRecioM. If he fails to meet conditions set by the judge -- the main one being he does not approach minors with sexual intentions -- he will have to serve the sentence."
"Regardless of Wander Franco's prison sentence being suspended, the conviction is likely to make it difficult for him to get a work visa in the United States. He is currently on MLB's restricted list for failure to report, and without a work visa, he would not be able to do so," Passan added in a separate post.
The victim's mother, Martha Vanessa Chevalier Almonte, was also found guilty of sexual trafficking her daughter and sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to Passan and Recio.
Franco, who was recently charged with illegal possession of a handgun in relation to his November 10 San Juan de Maguana arrest during an altercation in a parking lot, was placed on the restricted list hours after being formally charged with sex crimes against a minor. The former No. 1 overall international prospect was initially placed on administrative leave for a second time in March 2024 ahead of the beginning of the 2024 MLB season, which had since been extended, amid multiple accusations of inappropriate relationships with underage girls dating back to last season.
Franco has been under investigation since July 10, 2023 after a 14-year-old girl from his native Dominican Republic filed a complaint about alleged sexual relations. Authorities in the Dominican Republic reportedly raided two homes linked to Franco on December 26, the New York Post reported at the time.
The Santo Domingo Prosecutor's Office for Children and Adolescents searched Franco's home in Villa Real, as well as one belonging to Franco's mother in Baní, according to the Dominican newspaper Listin Diario. Authorities initially confirmed that they were investigating the accusations made against Franco in late August.
A complaint against Franco was filed by a 17-year-old girl in his native Dominican Republic in July 2023, the Dominican newspaper Diario Libre reported on August 14, 2023. The report came after a Facebook post re-shared on X claimed Franco "was dating a 14 year old and she is exposing him after he didn't send her the hush money." Diario Libre specified that the underage girl who filed the complaint was not the girl mentioned in the social media posts.
The Rays initially placed Franco "on administrative leave until further notice" amid the allegations on August 22, 2023. The two sides had previously agreed to his placement on the restricted list on August 14, 2023.
Franco appeared to deny the allegations in a video shared on Instagram Live shortly after the allegations were reported. Franco's wife, Rachelly Paulino, his childhood sweetheart from the Dominican Republic, was identified publicly amid the allegations, according to the Daily Mail.
The couple has reportedly been married since 2021 and shares two sons. Franco signed an 11-year extension with the Rays in November 2011 after a breakout rookie season and was selected to the All-Star Game for the first time in 2023, hitting for a .281 average with 17 home runs and 58 RBIs in 442 at-bats.