Judge drops charges of money laundering, exploitation against Wander Franco

A judge dismissed charges against Wander Franco of money laundering and sexual exploitation of a minor, but he still could face counts of sexual and psychological abuse and abduction stemming from an alleged inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old.

Franco, 22, was released from jail Monday in his native Dominican Republic after posting a financial guarantee equating to $34,000 that he will make monthly visits to the court for six months.

The accusation of sexual abuse of a minor is an aggravated felony, and if the Rays shortstop is found guilty, he could face two to five years in prison, according to the Associated Press.

Though he has not yet been formally charged with a crime, Franco faces huge hurdles to return to the United States, according to a former prosecutor for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement who now works in private practice.

“It will be very difficult for him to come back, barring a determination that all these allegations have been made up,” Javad Khazaeli told the Tampa Bay Times on Tuesday. “I can’t see his visa being approved any time soon with a credible allegation and a law enforcement prosecution going on. The U.S. government will defer to that.”

The Rays, Franco’s U.S.-based attorney, Jay Reisinger, and the Major League Baseball Players Association declined to comment on the latest developments.

Franco has a special five-year visa granted to professional athletes to perform in the United States. But with Franco very publicly not working for the final months of the 2023 season, Khazaeli said it will be hard to prove he needs to be in the U.S.

“The standard isn’t a conviction for immigration purposes,” Khazaeli said. “The standard is, No. 1, the (foreign citizen) has to show that they are admissible into the United States.”

The government can deny admission to a foreign citizen if it determines there are reasonable grounds. State Department decisions generally cannot be appealed in the judicial system, Khazaeli said.

Such a decision could cause a chain reaction that leads to Franco losing millions of dollars.

He likely would be unable to report for spring training or even the Rays’ March 28 season opener. With Franco unable to perform, the team would have to place him on the restricted list and he would no longer be paid.

Shortly after the allegations first came to light in August, Franco was placed on administrative leave under the MLB and players union’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. That allowed the league and Dominican officials to conduct investigations while Franco continued to collect on his contract.

Franco stayed in Florida until last month, when he returned to the Dominican Republic. He was detained on Jan. 1 for failing to respond to two summons as part of the investigation. He and the mother of the minor appeared in court Friday facing accusations of commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering for allegedly making payments to the minor’s mother.

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Explore all your optionsOn Monday, Romaldi Marcelino Henríquez, the investigative judge, observed there was not enough evidence to pursue those accusations against Franco.

Authorities have six months to formally charge Franco. The mother of the minor still faces the original accusations.

Franco signed an 11-year deal worth $182 million in November 2021. Even if he is not formally charged or convicted of anything, he still could lose millions. MLB has the right to suspend him without pay.

Franco, who is owed $2 million next season, was elected to his first All-Star team in July. He was hitting .281 with 17 home runs and 58 RBIs before his season was cut short.

The Rays, who quietly removed advertising and merchandise featuring Franco from Tropicana Field in August, have made plans to proceed without him. They traded for shortstop Jose Caballero on Friday as insurance against Franco being unable to play.

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Kristie Ackert is a sports reporter who writes about professional sports in Tampa Bay. Reach her at [email protected].