Wander Franco charged with gun possession in Dominican Republic

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, who’s on trial on charges that include sexual abuse of a minor, was charged Sunday with illegal possession of a handgun, prosecutors said.

Franco was arrested Nov. 10 in San Juan de la Maguana after an altercation in a parking lot. No one was injured during the fight, and the gun, a semiautomatic Glock 19, was found in Franco’s vehicle, according to a statement from the Dominican Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The gun was registered in the name of Franco’s uncle, prosecutors said in the statement. After the arrest, Antonio Garcia Lorenzo, one of Franco’s lawyers, said that because the gun was licensed, “There’s nothing illegal about it.”

Prosecutors requested that Franco stand trial on the gun charge.

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When reached by ESPN on Sunday night, the Rays said they had no comment on the matter.

The 24-year-old Franco’s trial in the sexual abuse case — involving a girl who was 14 years old at the time of his alleged crimes — is ongoing. The charges in that case include sexual abuse of a minor, sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking.

According to prosecutors, Franco kidnapped the girl for sexual purposes and “sent large sums of money to her mother.”

Franco, who is on supervised release, faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

He was playing his third major league season when his career was halted in August 2023 because of the allegations.

Franco agreed to an 11-year, $182 million contract in November 2021. He’s currently on MLB’s restricted list.

ESPN’s Juan Arturo Recio contributed to this report.