Wander Franco has been warned against trying to enter the United States while he is investigated over an alleged inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old in the Dominican Republic, despite being cleared to leave the country.
Tampa Bay Rays star Franco, 22, posted a $35,000 bond and left jail on Monday afternoon with a judge clearing him to leave the country if he wishes, on the condition he reports back to authorities in his native country once a month.
But that probably won’t mean he can return to the United States and practice with the Rays – or even think about playing for them – ahead of the new season.
Franco faces allegations that he had a brief relationship with the then-14-year-old girl and gave her mother thousands of dollars and a car in exchange for her consent.
Javad Khazaeli, a former prosecutor for U.S. Immigration told The Athletic: ‘Barring a full exoneration in this case, where it comes out that this was all made up, I don’t see him very likely coming back (to the United States) anytime soon, if ever.
Wander Franco has been warned against trying to return to the US while he is on bail
Franco, 22, is being investigated in the Dominican Republic for an alleged inappropriate relationship with a minor
‘The likelihood he would come into the U.S., even if he had a valid visa that wasn’t revoked, is minimal.
‘To be honest, if I was his immigration attorney, I would tell him not to even try. Then he would open himself up to being detained at the border and being put into custody here until an administrative adjudication of these claims.’
According to The Athletic, Franco is on a five-year P1-A Athlete visa that allows him to travel from the Dominican Republic to be a professional athlete in the US but if he was deemed a threat to public safety, it could be revoked.
Franco denied the allegations when they first surfaced in a video on his Instagram story. He is also being investigated by Major League Baseball, who placed him on the administrative list on August 22.
His contract with the Rays is worth a huge $182million and he signed an 11-year contract in November 2021.
Franco was arrested last week after missing a meeting with the prosecutor investigating the case.
The MLB star was transported to the Puerto Plata courthouse Friday morning, arriving in handcuffs and escorted by police.
The judge received a nearly 600-page document detailing the evidence that prosecutors gathered during a months-long investigation, according to Associated Press.
Franco signed an 11-year-deal with MLB team Tampa Bay Rays worth a huge $182million
Franco has denied the allegations but faces huge questions over his baseball career
Franco hasn’t been charged with any crimes and has previously denied any wrongdoing.
The underage girl, who has not been named for legal reasons, told Dominican Republic investigators that her mother took advantage of her relationship with Franco to benefit herself.
‘Since I was little, my mother has seen me as a way for her to benefit from both the partners she has had and my partners and it is something that I really dislike,’ the minor said, according to a court document obtained by Dominican news outlet Noticias Sin.
