Guardians' Emmanuel Clase arrested by FBI at JFK Airport for alleged role in gambling scheme

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase was arrested by FBI agents astatine JFK Airport connected Thursday and is presently successful national custody, Fox News Digital has learned. Clase was indicted connected charges related to an alleged gambling strategy to rig bets connected games during the MLB season, alongside his Cleveland teammate Luis Ortiz.

Clase was traveling to New York from the Dominican Republic, and was scheduled to beryllium arraigned astatine a national tribunal successful Brooklyn. 

"Emmanuel Clase has devoted his beingness to shot and doing everything successful his powerfulness to assistance his squad win," Clase's lawyer, Michael Ferrara, said successful an emailed connection Wednesday.

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Emmanuel Clase #48 of the Cleveland Guardians reacts aft a location tally during the eighth inning against the New York Yankees during Game Three of the American League Championship Series astatine Progressive Field connected Oct. 17, 2024, successful Cleveland, Ohio.  (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Officials said successful the indictment that, from May 2023 to June 2025, Clase agreed with 1 co-conspirator to "throw circumstantial pitches successful definite MLB games" truthful that the bettors they were allegedly partnered with "would nett from amerciable wagers made based connected that wrong information." Ortiz allegedly joined the strategy successful June 2025.

The indictment said Clase conferred with 1 bettor to propulsion a shot connected the archetypal transportation of an at-bat erstwhile helium was brought into games successful relief. The indictment pointed to instances successful circumstantial games, including May 19, 2023, vs. the New York Mets; June 2, 2023, vs. the Minnesota Twins; and June 7, 2023, vs. the Boston Red Sox.

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Cleveland Guardians pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase's permission was extended indefinitely connected Aug. 31, 2025. (IMAGN/AP)

Clase allegedly began to petition and person bribes and kickback payments for agreeing to propulsion the circumstantial pitches successful April, according to the indictment. In 1 instance, the indictment said, Clase utilized his telephone successful the mediate of a crippled to coordinate with a bettor connected a transportation helium would throw.

Bettors allegedly won $400,000 from betting platforms connected pitches thrown by Clase betwixt 2023 and 2025.

When Ortiz allegedly joined the scheme, the indictment said, helium agreed to propulsion balls implicit strikes connected definite pitches successful speech for bribes oregon kickbacks. He allegedly agreed to propulsion a shot connected June 15 against the Seattle Mariners for astir $5,000 successful his archetypal transportation successful the 2nd inning.

The indictment said Ortiz agreed to propulsion a shot successful his archetypal transportation of the 3rd inning connected June 27 against the St. Louis Cardinals for $7,000.

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Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase during a shot crippled against the San Francisco Giants, successful San Francisco, June 17, 2025.  (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, file)

In June 2025, bettors won astatine slightest $60,000 connected pitches thrown by Ortiz.

The indictment announcement came weeks aft 3 NBA figures were swept up successful an FBI cognition involving amerciable gambling. Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier and Damon Jones were among the much than 2 twelve arrested successful the scheme.

Fox News Digital's Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report. 

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