Jurors were selected Tuesday in the federal court trial of former Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig, who is accused of lying to investigators about his suspected involvement in an illegal sports betting operation.
The 35-year-old Puig, who spent six seasons with the Dodgers, is charged with obstruction of justice and making false statements to federal investigators. Puig last played Major League Baseball in 2019, most recently with Cincinnati and Cleveland. He also played in South Korea, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.
The panel of 12 jurors and two alternates was expected to return to the courtroom Tuesday afternoon after a recess. Puig was in the downtown Los Angeles courtroom for the proceedings.
Opening statements were expected to begin later Tuesday.
Puig’s legal team Waymaker LLP said in a statement that “Puig is finally getting his day in court and looks forward to presenting the full story.”
The federal charges against Cuban-born Puig stem from a 2017 investigation into an illegal gambling business run by ex-minor league pitcher Wayne Nix. The investigation into the 49-year-old Newport Coast resident’s actions to launder illicit proceeds and hide income from the Internal Revenue Service led authorities to Puig, according to federal prosecutors.
In May 2019, federal investigators said Puig started placing the illegal bets. By June 2019, Puig owed Nix’s gambling operation $282,000 for sports gambling losses, federal prosecutors said. From July 4, 2019 to September 29, 2019, Puig placed 899 additional bets on tennis, football and basketball games through betting websites, prosecutors said.
Puig was interviewed by investigators as part of the larger investigation in January 2022. It was during that interview that Puig lied several times, prosecutors said. He denied all knowledge of the Nix gambling business and persons participating in it, authorities said.
Puig and prosecutors reached a plea deal in August 2022, but he reneged on the agreement weeks later, leading to the current charges. He had agreed to plead guilty to one count of making false statements and pay a fine of at least $55,000.
“I want to clear my name,” Puig said in a statement at the time. “I never should have agreed to plead guilty to a crime I did not commit.”
In August 2025, Puig posted a statement on X that included: “This story isn’t over yet, and you weren’t told the full story the first time.”
If convicted on all charges, Puig could face 10 years or more in prison.
“This case is strange in the sense that Puig doesn’t deny he was a big gambler,” said NBCLA legal analyst Royal Oakes. “He placed hundreds of bets and lost almost $300,000, but he is being charged with lying to the feds when they asked about his contacts with bookies.”
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.
If you or someone you know has a gambling addiction, please call the National Council on Problem Gambling at 1-800-522-4700 to speak to a counselor. Help is also available via an online peer support forum at www.gamtalk.org, and additional resources can be found at NCPG website.
