Yasiel Puig, the former Major League Baseball all-star who faces federal charges in connection to an illegal sports betting investigation, has added a high-powered attorney to his legal team.
On Saturday, Ben Crump held a press conference near the federal courthouse in Los Angeles to discuss the case of the one-time Dodgers slugger charged with lying to investigators and obstructing justice. Crump, best known for his work as a civil rights attorney, has represented the families of Tyre Nichols, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Aubrey, and Trayvon Martin.
Last November, federal prosecutors announced a plea agreement with Puig, saying he admitted he lied to investigators when he denied placing bets with a former minor league ballplayer who set up his own gambling ring. However, just before the hearing was to take place, Lisette Carnet, Puig’s sports agent, said she had discovered new evidence that led to him pulling out of the deal.
Crump accused prosecutors of making a spectacle out of Puig’s case even though he was not an orchestrator in the scheme.
“The six people who were running the gambling ring, they have been charged, but Yasiel has gotten more of a press statement and release from this (US Attorney’s) office than the people who were committing the heinous crimes that they were targeting,” Crump said Saturday.
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Ben Crump, Noted Civil Rights Lawyer, Joins Legal Team in Yasiel Puig Sports Betting Case
