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Yet another update has come out of the ongoing Wander Franco case regarding the MLB shortstop's alleged relationship with a 15-year-old girl in the Dominican Republic. In the middle of his most successful MLB season (2023) so far, the Tampa Bay Rays star was accused of having physical relations with a minor in his country, giving way to an investigation that ended his season.
Now, the prosecutor's office has put forward some evidence that has been damning for Wander Franco. It contains evidence of money being exchanged between the shortstop and the girl's mother, including large amounts of cash being found in the latter's house.
The said 15-year-old girl spoke to an assigned psychologist in the aftermath of the evidence and opened up about how her mother used her for her financial profit. According to prosecutors, in December 2022, she said that the accused "was her boyfriend and had given a vehicle to her mother to try to compensate for the emotional damage he had caused her." This has brought forward charges of commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering between the two parties.
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However, in the latest turn of events, reports suggest that the mother of the minor was the one who demanded money from Franco in order to remain silent. This will now add another dimension to the case to determine whether the MLB player and his mother were victims of blackmail. The case will be looked at by an investigating judge this Friday morning, where Franco and the mother of the girl are both expected to appear in the courtroom.
Wander Franco's next courtroom appearance is scheduled for Friday
As the case surrounding Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco picks up momentum, the next courtroom hearing in front of a judge is scheduled for Friday, 8:00 a.m. The MLB player has been detained at the National Police headquarters since Monday when he made an appearance in the prosecutor's office after missing his summoning.
The judge will make an announcement in a court in the province of Puerto Plata, where the alleged offense took place.
