Appeals court hears arguments on ex-Los Angeles Dodger Yasiel Puig’s plea deal after he was accused of lying to investigators about sports betting

A Pasadena appeals court heard arguments Monday but issued no ruling in an attempt by federal prosecutors to overturn a lower court’s order denying the government’s request to use the statements made by former Dodger Yasiel Puig in a now-withdrawn plea deal against him during his trial for allegedly lying. to investigators about his involvement in illegal sports betting.

Last year, a federal judge in Los Angeles determined that the plea agreement the baseball player signed and then withdrew was not binding because Puig never formally entered a plea before a judge.

Plea agreements are generally binding once accepted by the court.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rajesh Srinivasan argued before a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that a plea agreement is essentially a “contract” between a defendant and the government and is enforceable once signed by the parties and is not dependent on agreement. formal advocacy.

However, attorney Elliott Averett, representing Puig, argued that for decades the court has held that plea agreements are not binding until a formal plea has been accepted by the court.

Puig’s plea agreement “never said it was enforceable without the judge’s approval,” the lawyer argued, adding that such an agreement is only enforceable “upon acceptance and approval of the district court.”

Srinivasan countered that “the signature (of the parties) is what makes the agreement effective,” not the judge’s acceptance of the plea.

After hearing arguments, the panel declared the matter submitted and is expected to issue its decision at a later date.

Prosecutors want to use at trial the portion of the plea agreement in which the Cuban-born baseball player admits his alleged involvement in the betting ring and acknowledges his alleged lies to Homeland Security and other investigators. The plea agreement Puig signed with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles – in which he promises to plead guilty to a single count of lying to federal authorities and agrees to pay a fine of at least $55,000 – was filed in August 2022.

He had never entered a plea before a judge when he reneged on his deal a few weeks later.

“I want to clear my name,” Puig said in a statement at the time. “I should never have agreed to plead guilty to a crime I did not commit.”

Prosecutors later charged Puig with obstruction of justice in addition to the original charge of making false statements to federal officials. A trial date has not yet been set. If convicted of obstruction of justice, Puig, 33, faces up to 10 years in prison.

The charge of making a false statement carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Before opting out of the plea deal, he was eligible for probation as well as a fine.

Puig spent six seasons with the Dodgers and last played in the MLB in 2019 while splitting time between Cincinnati and Cleveland. The outfielder reportedly recently signed with a team that plays in the Mexican League.

According to prosecutors, Puig began betting on games in May 2019 through an unidentified man who worked on behalf of an illegal gambling business run by Wayne Nix, 46, of Newport Coast. In January 2022, federal investigators interviewed Puig in the presence of his attorney.

During the interview, despite being warned that lying to federal agents is a crime, Puig allegedly lied several times, including when he said he never discussed gambling with the bookie, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

In fact, Puig discussed sports betting with the man hundreds of times on the phone and through text messages, federal prosecutors allege.

Nix pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to operate an illegal sports gambling business and filing a false tax return. He is awaiting a sentencing date.