Prosecutors: Wander Franco paid mother of minor to cover up relationship

Rays shortstop Wander Franco was scheduled to make his first appearance before a judge in the Dominican Republic this morning, facing serious accusations of commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering.

Prosecutors have alleged that Franco, 22, had a physical relationship with a 14-year-old girl in 2022, when he was 21 and had already played two seasons in the Major Leagues.

Franco, who has been detained since Monday, arrived in handcuffs at the Palace of Justice in Puerto Plata just after 8 a.m. Policemen guided him through a group of photographers and reporters into the building.

The minor’s mother, who faces the same charges, arrived separately. She was escorted by a policeman and not handcuffed.

The judge is hearing prosecutors’ arguments for coercive measures, essentially deciding whether the case has enough evidence to move forward and, if so, how to keep Franco and the mother of the minor in the country throughout the process.

In a 63-page request for coercive measures filed Wednesday and viewed by Dominican reporters, the Public Ministry requested a financial guarantee of just over $86,000, a ban on leaving the country and periodic presentations for Franco. It also asked for the mother to be barred from leaving the country and placed under house arrest.

The document states that both Franco and the mother engaged in the exploitation and prostitution of minors, physical and sexual abuse and trafficking of minors, according to multiple Spanish-language news reports, including Dominican newspaper Diario Libre and Noticias SIN.

The teenager’s mother “gave her minor daughter in exchange for money to the accused Wander Franco and forced him to keep handing over money, to silence the crime of child abuse,” according to the reports.

Prosecutors allege that Franco had a four-month relationship with the girl in the winter of 2022, when she was 14 and he was 21. According to the document, Franco took the minor from her home in the province of Puerto Plata on Dec. 9, 2022 and “for a period of two days, the accused had sexual relations with the teenager.”

The document reportedly presents evidence suggesting that both Franco and his mother, Nancy Yudelka Aybar, made several payments to the mother.

The girl, interviewed by a psychologist as part of the months-long investigation, said her mother had used her for her own personal gain. She mentioned seven monthly deposits of 100,000 pesos (roughly $17,000) and a car in exchange for allowing the relationship to continue and remaining silent about it.

“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 dislike very much,” she told the psychologist.

The relationship came to light in July, when the girl reached out to a digital media company with her story of the relationship, providing pictures, to try and force her mother into sharing the money she had received from Franco. An anonymous complaint was made to the Gender Violence Unit of Puerto Plata based on that report.

The girl retracted the story three days later, and her mother went to the Gender Violence Unit of Puerto Plata claiming Franco had abducted her daughter. Prosecutors contend this report of kidnapping was an attempt to shift the focus of the investigation away from herself.

According to the document, the girl’s mother received several bank transfers from the player and his mother, with which she acquired a 2023 Suzuki Swift for a value of $26,600. She also acquired electronic devices and property related to the purchase of a portion of land in Montellano for a sum equivalent to almost $36,000.

Franco’s mother allegedly made two deposits to the mother of the minor for him. They were for the purchase of the vehicle.

In a raid on the house of the girl’s mother, authorities said they seized a case containing several wads of bills that amounted to a total amount of 800,000 pesos ($13,700). Behind a painting, they found other bundles of bills of $100 each, adding up to a total of $68,500. Prosecutors said there is no record of this money coming from the mother’s employment.

Franco, who signed an 11-year deal with the Rays worth $182 million in November 2021, has not played in a game since Aug. 12. He was placed on administrative leave under Major League Baseball and its players union’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy.

Even if he avoids legal penalties in the Dominican Republic, Franco still could be suspended by MLB. The league has always waited for any legal investigation and/or prosecution to take place before deciding on possible discipline.

Franco, who is owed $2 million for this upcoming season, was elected to his first All-Star team in July. He was hitting .281 with 17 home runs and 58 RBIs before his season was cut short.

The Rays’ first full-squad workout of spring training is set for Feb. 20 in Port Charlotte.

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