What happened to Tampa Bay Rays' Wander Franco? Human trafficking scandal involving 14-year-old victim’s mother explained

The Tampa Bay Rays’ Wander Franco was once considered to be a pretty promising player in the team and his fans had huge hopes from the star player until it all came crashing down a year ago when he was accused of sexually assaulting a minor in the Dominican Republic.

This news had sent shockwaves across the league and here is everything that happened.

Tampa Bay Rays’ Wander Franco was involved in the trafficking of a 14 year old girl and was helped by the victim’s mother

Wander Franco was 17 years old when he signed a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays for a whopping signing bonus of $3.85 million. He was also ranked as one of the top international prospects in the 2017 international class.

All was going well for the Tampa Bay Rays’ Wander Franco and he even ended up tying the knot with his wife in 2021 after the two became parents to two boys in 2018 and 2022.While Wander Franco’s career in the MLB was just taking off, when on 9th July 2024, he was charged with allegations of human trafficking, sexual exploitation of a minor and sexual abuse in the Dominican Republic.The MLB had immediately suspended him and also reacted to the whole scandal. Last year, the league issued an official statement that read as, “We are aware of the charges against Mr. Franco. Our investigation remains open, and we will continue to closely monitor the case as it moves forward.”

On 26th June 2025, the Tampa Bay Rays’ Wander Franco was found guilty in the Dominican Republic and the young player received a suspended sentence of two years in prison.As per reports, Wander Franco was accused of being in a sexual relationship with a 14 year old girl when he was 21 years old. The young victim’s mother, Martha Vanessa Chevalier Almonte, was also convicted and has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.Apparently, the prosecutors were able to prove that the victim’s mother had gained a considerable amount of money by trafficking her young daughter to Wander Franco.With this, Wander Franco’s visa issue remains complicated as he has not been able to play in the league since 2023.Also Read: MLB fan sparks outrage after being removed from stadium for interfering with the match in Diamondbacks vs. Giants game