SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Former Major League Baseball outfielder Raúl Mondesi was sentenced Friday by a Dominican court to six years and nine months in jail and fined $507,000 for corruption during his time as mayor in the city of San Cristobal.
Prosecutors accused the 53-year-old Mondesi of embezzling $5 million during his time as mayor between 2010 and 2016. The sentence came after a deal with the prosecutors’ office.
Mondesi, whose son Adalberto Mondesi was a big league shortstop, spent six years under house arrest, which means his sentence has already been completed.
With the Los Angeles Dodgers, Mondesi won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 1994 and played in the All-Star Game one year later. The Dominican was in MLB for 13 seasons and won two Gold Gloves.
Mondesi’s career also includes stints with the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbecks, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Angels and Atlanta Braves. He finished his career with an average of .273, 271 homers and 860 RBIs.
Mondesi’s political career started in San Cristobal, which he represented as a lawmaker between 2006 and 2010. After his time as mayor, he bid for the senate but failed.
Dominican prosecutors brought several charges against Mondesi, including falsification of documents, criminal association and malfeasance.
Adalberto, his son, started his career with the Kansas City Royals in the World Series they won in 2015. He is currently a free agent after he suffered a knee injury in March 2023.
Former Major League Baseball player Raul Mondesi, who played for the Toronto Blue Jays among other teams, has been sentenced to six years in prison in the Dominican Republic for corruption charges.
Mondesi, who was the mayor of San Cristobal in the Dominican Republic from 2010 to 2016, was found guilty of embezzling over $6 million in public funds during his time in office. The former outfielder was also fined $1.3 million as part of the sentence.
Mondesi, who was the 1994 National League Rookie of the Year and a two-time All-Star during his playing career, is the first former MLB player to be elected mayor in the Dominican Republic. However, his political career has been marred by controversy and allegations of corruption.
The sentencing of Mondesi is seen as a significant step in the fight against corruption in the Dominican Republic, where government officials have often been accused of misusing public funds for personal gain. The case has also raised questions about the role of former athletes in politics and the need for greater transparency and accountability in government.
Mondesi, who is currently serving his sentence in a Dominican prison, has not commented publicly on the verdict. It remains to be seen what impact this will have on his reputation as a former baseball star and whether he will be able to make a comeback in the future.