ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — The future of Tampa Bay Rays baseball player Wander Franco is in the hands of a judge after prosecutors in the Dominican Republic submitted evidence in an ongoing investigation Wednesday morning.
The 22-year-old is detained in the Dominican Republic pending a court hearing scheduled for Friday, where he’s being accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a minor.
With a military escort, prosecutors took alleged evidence in the case to a judge’s office. The judge will review the documents before making a decision on the allegations.
Franco’s attorney, Teodosio Encarnacion, said he’s waiting to see what evidence is presented against his client.
“Right now, everything you hear is from the Public Ministry and speculations and rumors that are on social media, but we don’t know anything,” Encarnacion said.
Dominican news outlets state prosecutors are requesting a judge restrict Franco from exiting the country throughout the investigation. They are also seeking Wander to pay what they call a “financial guarantee” of 5 million Dominican Pesos and routine check-ins if he’s released Friday.
