Rays' Wander Franco Granted Conditional Release by Judge amid Probe into Relationship

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco has been conditionally released amid an ongoing investigation into accusations that he engaged in a relationship with a 14-year-old girl and gave her 35-year-old mother thousands of dollars and a car for consent.

Per Martín Adames Alcántara and Dánica Coto of the Associated Press, court documents reveal that a Dominican judge has allowed Franco to leave the Dominican Republic but must return to the country once a month so he can meet with authorities.

MLB insider Héctor Gómez provided more information.

"A judge has ruled that Wander Franco must post bail for 2 million Dominican pesos, about 35k dollars and present himself to court once a month for 6 months as part of the process against him. The mother of the minor in the center of the allegations who's accused of commercial sexual exploitation and money laundry was ordered to remain on House Arrest and can't leave the Dominican Republic."

According to ESPN's Juan Recio (h/t ESPN's Jeff Passan), there are three accusations that Franco, who turned 22 in March, engaged in relationships with minors.

The age of consent in the Dominican Republic is 18. Per Passan, "anyone over 18 who engages in a sexual relationship with someone younger than 18 can be charged criminally."

Recio provided more information on Dec. 28: "At least two people have filed legal action against Franco. He is also under investigation for allegedly having a relationship with a third minor, sources told ESPN, although there has been no formal complaint to authorities from the third girl."

The Rays placed Franco on the restricted list on August 14, and he has been on administrative leave since August 22. He has been away from the team since August 12, his last game with the Rays. MLB has been investigating Franco since social media posts alleged that he had a relationship with a minor, per TMZ Sports.

An investigation was opened in the Dominican Republic's National Agency for Boys, Girls, Adolescents and Family and Gender Violence Unit in August, per Alcántara. The first formal complaint was filed against Franco on July 17, per Passan.

The Dominican Republic's Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Children and Adolescents issued a summons to Franco to address allegations of inappropriate relationships on Dec. 28.

Recio reported last week that Franco failed to appear after being summoned by the Dominican Republic's Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Children and Adolescents.

Four days later, Franco spoke with authorities, and he was soon arrested for failing to appear for questioning, per the AP.

The AP provided more information on that front: "Franco, who was detained Monday in the northern province of Puerto Plata, hasn't been charged with any crimes. The judge has received a nearly 600-page document detailing the evidence that prosecutors gathered during a monthslong investigation."

On Wednesday, Dominican prosecutors asked a judge, Rumaldi Marcelino, to "hold Franco on an $86,000 bond, bar him from leaving the Dominican Republic and place him under house arrest," per the AP.

On Friday, the judge had these options, per the AP: "release Franco on bond, temporarily arrest him, prevent him from leaving the Dominican Republic or demand that he make occasional appearances until the investigation or a trial has ended."

The allegations against Franco in this specific court case revolve around an alleged four-month relationship that he had with a 14-year-old girl from Puerto Plata.

Per the AP:

"Authorities accuse Franco of taking the minor away from her home in Puerto Plata in December 2022 and having a four-month relationship with her with consent from the girl's mother.

"They accuse Franco of sending the mother monthly payments of $1,700 for seven months and buying her a car 'in order to allow the relationship and let her go out with him wherever she wanted' according to the document, which quoted the girl."

The AP also reported that authorities raided the girl's mother's home last September and seized the Dominican peso equivalent of $13,700 in American dollars. They were also reported to find the equivalent of $68,500 hidden behind a frame.

That's in addition to another raid at a different home in which authorities reportedly found a guarantee certificate derived from a local bank for the equivalent of $36,000. Authorities allege that Franco delivered that certificate for the "commercial and sexual exploitation" of the girl.

Court documents also claim that authorities took a Suzuki Swift worth $26,600. The girl's mother also reportedly purchased a $36,000 property in Puerto Plata.

Franco, who was listed as baseball's top prospect in 2021, played in MLB for three seasons. He signed an 11-year, $182 million contract in November 2021 and made his first All-Star team in 2023.