Wander Franco, the Tampa Bay Rays shortstop currently facing trial in a sexual abuse case, was granted supervised release on Wednesday following his arrest for illegally carrying a gun in his vehicle during an altercation in a parking lot in the Dominican Republic.
A Dominican judge ruled that Franco must report to court once a month while under investigation for possessing the firearm, which was registered under his uncle's name. The incident occurred during an argument at a San Juan de la Maguana apartment complex parking lot, resulting in Franco's arrest along with two other individuals. Police seized two firearms during the confrontation.
Franco's legal team maintains that the gun in question was licensed and registered to its rightful owner, not Franco himself. They emphasized that Franco was in San Juan de la Maguana solely for a visit, disputing any wrongdoing on his part.
If convicted of illegal firearm possession, Franco could face a prison sentence ranging from three to five years. In addition to this recent incident, Franco is also scheduled to stand trial on December 12 in Puerto Plata for a separate case involving sexual abuse allegations, including charges of sexual and commercial exploitation of a minor as well as human trafficking.
Despite these legal challenges, Franco has expressed his faith, stating, 'Everything is in God's hands.' The 23-year-old player, who had been in his third major league season before his career was interrupted in August 2023, signed a lucrative 11-year, $182 million contract in November 2021.
Tampa Bay Rays placed Franco on the restricted list on July 10, suspending his pay while he was on administrative leave.
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