Wander Franco Granted Conditional Release As Investigation Continues
A Dominican Judge granted the conditional release of Wander Franco while he is investigated for allegations he had an inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old girl and bribed her mother in exchange for her consent.
The Tampa Bay Rays shortstop was ordered to pay 2 million Dominican pesos (around $35,000) as a deposit. He may now leave the Dominican but must return once a month to present himself in court.
Franco is accused of sexual exploitation and money laundering. The girl's 35-year-old mother, who faces the same charges, will be held under house arrest as the investigation continues.
Prosecutors said the investigation began after they received an anonymous tip in July.
The Tampa Bay Rays shortstop appeared with his legal team Monday — four days after not responding to a summons from the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Children and Adolescents. Officials raided Franco's home on Dec. 26.
Accusations Against Wander Franco
Authorities accuse Franco of taking the minor away from her home in Puerto Plata in December 2022 and having a four-month relationship with her with consent from the girl's mother.
Franco alledgedly sent the mother monthly payments of $1,700 and bought her a vehicle "in order to allow the relationship and let her go out with him wherever she wanted," according to court documents.
The girl was quoted saying she asked for a local site to publish a story about her alleged relationship with Franco because she was "tired" of her mother, who wasn't sharing the money with her.
In September, authorities raided the home of the girl's mother and seized 800,000 Dominican pesos ($13,700) as well as $68,500 hidden behind a frame. At another home, they found a bank certificate for 2.1 million Dominican pesos ($36,000) that they said was delivered by Franco for the "commercial and sexual exploitation" of the girl.
In total, the 22-year-old Franco is accused of engaging in inappropriate relationships with at least three underage girls. Two of the alleged victims (including the one described above) have filed legal action, but Franco has not been formally charged.
Rumors of Franco’s relationships appeared on social media and prompted MLB to place him on administrative leave in August.
A rising MLB star, Franco signed an 11-year, $182 million contract extension with Tampa Bay in 2021. The Rays continue to pay him amid the ongoing investigations.
Franco, who is married with two children, has denied the allegations.
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