by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
EDNY COURTHOUSE, Dec 2 – The Federal prosecutions for sports gambling has spread to Major League Baseball. An indictment has been
unsealed charging two defendants, Emmanuel Clase de la Cruz and Luis Leandro Ortiz
Ribera, with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to
influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy, for their
alleged roles in a scheme to rig bets on pitches thrown during MLB games.
Ortiz was arrested in Boston and in Brooklyn on November 12 was arraigned before Magistrate Judge Joseph Marutollo and entered a plea of not guilty .He was released on a $500,000 bond with his wife as a suretor. His next court appearance is a status conference on December 2, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto
On November 13 Clase was arrested at JFK airport upon arrival from the Dominican Republic and then freed on a $600,000 bond secured by a property the defendant owns in Cleveland and one suretor, his baseball agent Kelvin Nova.
On December 2, "The government described discovery as "substantially complete." Next status conference is on January 15, 2026, at 12 noon. The parties expect to confirm a trial date at the January 15 conference. The government expects a trial of two weeks. The Court and parties discussed a proposed trial date of May 4, 2026, for jury selection by a magistrate judge and May 11, 2026, to begin trial, unless the Court's previously scheduled trial concludes in time to start the trial on May 4, 2026."
Inner City Press is covering the cases. Indictment on Patreon here
Before the EDNY indictments in the NBA gambling (Terry Rozier, et al.) and poker fraud (Chauncey Billup, et al), there was and is the case of US v. Shane Hennen. 1:25-mj-00006 - filed and then left unindicted for months.
Inner City Press, which covers EDNY as well as SDNY, has been tracking it since indictment, now a number of continuances. Now he's in the Earnest / NBA gambling case. He was in it first...
On October 30, "NOTICE OF ATTORNEY APPEARANCE: Alain Jeff Ifrah appearing for Terry Rozier (Ifrah, Alain)."
On October 31, "Minute Entry for proceedings held before Magistrate Judge Taryn A. Merkl: Arraignment as to Shane Hennen (3) NOT GUILTY on ALL COUNTS of the indictment. A.U.S.A: Benjamin Weintraub. Todd Leventhal, Esq. ret.for deft. (Status Conference set for 12/8/2025 at 4:30 PM before Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall).
On November 5, scheduling: Chauncey Billups’s arraignment has been moved to November 24 at 10 A.M. in the ceremonial courtroom of EDNY.
For now, this:
NBA Gambling Indictment Blues
By Matthew Russell Lee, Inner City Press
Coming down the court, it's Terry Rozier
Fans far away, he hears them cheer
But Terry's not feeling so good today
Telling the bookies he will not play
Crank up the prop bets
Call Chauncey and set up the game
Innocent until proven guilty
Still in the hall of fame
Watch this site.
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