US News
MLB suspends Dominican prospect after investigation exposes elaborate age-fraud scheme
An investigation revealed a plot that allegedly included forged records, a death certificate, and a fake gravesite to present the player as two years younger than his actual age.
The short version
- Major League Baseball has suspended a Dominican prospect, identified as Daury David Severino Damaso, following an investigation into identity and age fraud.
- The player had previously agreed to a $2.8 million pre-deal with the Cleveland Guardians under the name David Severino, which was canceled in May.
- The scheme reportedly involved the creation of a fake identity, forged medical and school records, and a fabricated death certificate complete with a staged gravesite.
Key facts
- Major League Baseball suspended a Dominican prospect after an investigation exposed a scheme to portray the player as nearly two years younger than his actual age of 16.[The Guardian]
- The prospect, identified as Daury David Severino Damaso, agreed to a $2.8 million pre-deal with the Cleveland Guardians in December under the alias David Severino.[The Guardian]
- The Guardians canceled the agreement in May after MLB initiated an investigation.[The Guardian]
- The plot allegedly orchestrated by trainer Francisco Nieves involved falsifying school records, birth certificates, medical records, a death certificate, and establishing a fake gravesite in the Dominican Republic to claim the older identity had died.[The Guardian]
- Trainer John Pereyra, who paid Nieves $20,000 for the player's rights and trained him for two years, stated he was unaware of the fraud scheme and was misled by the fake grave.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- It is not publicly known what prompted MLB to investigate the player's background and contract.[The Guardian]