Another week brings another sports gambling indictment from the Eastern District of New York. However, unlike recent cases involving NBA figures, this one includes a rare and serious accusation: actual sports bribery.
Federal prosecutors have charged two Cleveland Guardians pitchers with allegedly manipulating their pitches in exchange for money. According to the indictment, the players agreed to throw specific pitches, such as intentional balls in certain counts, as part of a broader scheme linked to illegal gambling operations. The defendants remain innocent until proven guilty.
What distinguishes this case is how the Department of Justice has presented it. While recent gambling-related prosecutions have relied primarily on wire fraud and money laundering charges, this indictment introduces two uncommon counts: conspiracy to commit honest-services wire fraud and conspiracy to influence sporting contests through bribery under the Sports Bribery Act (18 U.S.C. § 224). Both Major League Baseball and the Cleveland Guardians are identified as victims.
The honest-services charge is noteworthy given the Supreme Court’s narrowing of that statute in decisions such as Skilling v. United States and Percoco v. United States, which confined its application mainly to clear bribery or kickback arrangements.
The sports-bribery charge carries a lighter maximum sentence but is rarely invoked, particularly in professional sports contexts. Its inclusion here suggests that the Department of Justice may be exploring broader enforcement strategies to address the increasing intersection between professional athletics and gambling. As legalized betting continues to expand nationwide, this case could set a significant precedent for how far federal prosecutors are willing to go to safeguard the integrity of the game.