Yasiel Puig, who played for the Kiwoom Heroes in Korea's KBO League, has been found guilty in a US federal court.
AFP reported Wednesday that Puig was convicted of obstruction of justice charges, including making false statements to investigators regarding his involvement in illegal sports gambling.
The verdict came after approximately two weeks of trial proceedings.
Puig now faces up to five years in prison for lying to federal investigators and up to 10 years for obstruction of justice.
Puig reportedly engaged in sports betting through an illegal gambling operation run by former minor league pitcher Wayne Nix in 2019, losing more than $280,000 (approximately 400 million won) in the process.
Nix pleaded guilty in 2022 to conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business and filing false tax returns, and is currently awaiting sentencing. Puig allegedly placed at least 900 bets on Nix's gambling site.
During a federal prosecutor's investigation in January 2022, however, Puig testified that he had no knowledge of Nix's gambling operation. In August of that year, he agreed to pay a $55,000 fine as part of a plea deal admitting to the false statement.
Puig later reversed course and pleaded not guilty, leading to the trial that followed his 2023 indictment.
Puig defected from Cuba in 2012 and made his Major League Baseball debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Over seven seasons in MLB, he posted a .277 batting average, .348 on-base percentage, and .475 slugging percentage.
After stints with the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians, Puig played in the Mexican League before joining Kiwoom for the first time in 2022.
After failing to secure a new contract, Puig left Korea but returned to Kiwoom ahead of the 2025 season. He was released in May of that year after posting a dismal .212 batting average with six home runs and 20 RBIs.