Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was charged with illegal use and possession of a gun following his arrest in the Dominican Republic on Sunday, ESPN’s Juan Recio reported.
If convicted, Franco could face a maximum prison sentence of between three to five years, per Recio.
Bail and a court date have not been set. Franco is likely to be granted a provisional release, according to Recio.
Franco was arrested after what police described as an “armed altercation” on Sunday in a parking lot in San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic, MartÃn Adames reported for the Associated Press.
The 23-year-old was already scheduled to face trial in December, also in the Dominican Republic, for a sexual abuse case involving a minor. He was placed on the MLB’s restricted list in July, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Franco was arrested following allegations of a relationship with a 14-year-old girl in January and conditionally released four days later. He has been prevented from leaving the Dominican Republic as part of the bail conditions, per Passan.
Franco is set to stand trial on Dec. 12 for this case, in which he faces sexual abuse, sexual exploitation against a minor and human trafficking charges. If convicted, he would face a potential maximum prison sentence of 20 years, per Recio.
According to Adames, a spokesperson for the Dominican police said Franco was detained alongside another man and a woman in Sunday’s arrest, during which two guns were seized.
The police stated that “one of the guns presumably belonged to Franco, who was allegedly fighting with the other man over the woman’s attention,” according to Adames.
Recio wrote that the altercation involved “Franco, another man and the father of that man over Franco’s relationship with a woman” who lived in the apartment complex connected to the parking lot where the incident took place.
Prosecutors said the gun found in Franco’s car was a Glock with magazine, ammunition and no registration papers, per Recio. Dominican authorities later said that the gun had been registered to Franco’s uncle, per Adames.
“Prosecutors said no one was hurt in the dispute and both parties agreed not to press charges,” Adames wrote.
Franco, who signed an 11-year, $182 million deal with the Rays in 2021, last played in MLB in 2023. He was placed on administrative leave before the 2024 season and received around $550,000 of his 2024 salary before he was moved to the restricted list on July 10, Passan reported.
