After being accused of having an improper relationship with a minor, Wander Franco was suspended from baseball. Now, he may be a fugitive from justice.
Authorities in the Dominican Republic are in search of suspended Tampa Bay Rays player Wander Franco, who failed to show up for a court-mandated appearance earlier this week. The 22-year-old shortstop was accused of having an improper relationship with at least two minors, which led to MLB shelving him indefinitely back in August.
In the meantime, Franco was supposed to be in the middle of the legal investigation when he suddenly went AWOL. Police spokesmen say that he failed to attend a mandatory appearance with an investigative prosecutor.
Authorities conducted two raids in search of Franco, but he was not found. At this time, he has not been charged with a crime, as the case is in an exploratory mode.
However, Franco is compelled to cooperate with the proceedings, so his disappearance has left law enforcement officials weighing their options on what to do next.
As it stands (at least for now), Wander Franco is still under investigation for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with two minors. Multiple reports state that he is also now being investigated for allegedly having a relationship with a third minor, as well.
RELATED: Rays’ Wander Franco Faces ANOTHER Allegation Of Having An Inappropriate Relationship With A Minor
The Tampa Bay Rays have made no public statements regarding Wander Franco and his legal situation. However, as a suspended player, he remains with the team and has yet to be released. The franchise chose not to comment on the shortstop’s failure to show up for court.
Considered one of the most promising young players in baseball, Wander Franco signed an 11-year, $182 million contract extension with the Rays in November 2021, during the early stages of his rookie year.
He was viewed as a potential franchise cornerstone for at least a decade. But now, there’s a very strong possibility that he never plays in Major League Baseball again.
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