Former Major League Baseball outfielder Raúl Mondesi was sentenced by a Dominican court on Friday to six years and nine months in prison, along with a fine of $507,000. The charges stemmed from corruption allegations during his tenure as mayor of San Cristobal.
Prosecutors accused Mondesi, who is 53 years old, of embezzling $5 million during his time as mayor from 2010 to 2016. The sentence was part of a plea deal reached with the prosecutors’ office.
Mondesi, known for his time with teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, and New York Yankees, won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 1994 and was an All-Star in 1995.
He played 13 seasons in MLB, earning two Gold Gloves and finishing his career with a .273 batting average, 271 home runs, and 860 RBIs.
Before his political career, Mondesi served as a lawmaker representing San Cristobal from 2006 to 2010. Following his mayoral term, he ran unsuccessfully for the senate.
In addition to the prison sentence and fine, Mondesi had spent six years under house arrest, which counted towards his overall sentence completion. His son Adalberto Mondesi, a former World Series champion with the Kansas City Royals, is currently a free agent after recovering from a knee injury in March 2023.
