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Federal prosecutors will not call a cooperating bettor as a witness in the pitch-rigging trial of Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, according to RG. Jury selection in Brooklyn appears set to proceed Nov. 3.
Cooperating bettor will not take the prosecution stand
The bettor is identified in court papers as Bettor-1. Defense counsel said he would invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination if the defense called him to testify.
Clase and Ortiz were charged in November 2025 with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery and money laundering conspiracy. Both pitchers pleaded not guilty that month.
Prosecutors allege the pitchers agreed in advance with bettors on specific pitches so the bettors could profit from prop bets. A superseding indictment filed in February added alleged bettor Robinson Vasquez Germosen, who is being tried alongside them. That indictment alleges the bettors won at least $450,000.
Judge bars IRS-debt evidence for now
U.S. District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto rejected the government’s bid to tell jurors that Clase owed the IRS about $500,000.
The judge cited the government’s delay in precluding the evidence, while leaving open the possibility that prosecutors could use it in rebuttal.
Appeals court denies Ortiz’s stay request
Ortiz sought a writ of mandamus from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a sealed proceeding. The appeals court denied his request to stay district court proceedings pending review by a three-judge panel and referred the stay motion to that panel.
Matsumoto had previously denied Ortiz’s motion to adjourn the trial on Oct. 23.
The judge plans to tell prospective jurors that the trial could run until Dec. 3. A prosecutor said the government may rest its case by Thanksgiving, and the defense said it expects to present a three-day case.
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Source: As reported by RG.
