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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wander Franco's sexual abuse trial begins in Dominican Republic
The Brief The trial of Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco began Monday in the Dominican Republic. Franco faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted of sexually abusing a minor, sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking. He spoke in court on Monday, promising to testify in his own defense. SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - The trial of Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco is underway in the Dominican Republic, with Franco speaking in court on Monday. The backstory The investigation into Franco began in 2023 in the northern province of Puerto Plata. In July 2024, prosecutors formally charged him with sexually abusing a minor, sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking. Investigators say Franco, who is now 24, had a relationship with a 14-year-old girl and, through his mother, transferred 1 million pesos – or about $17,000 – to the teen's mother in January 2023. Prosecutors allege that the teen's mother used the money from Franco to live an extravagant lifestyle. She's charged with money laundering. The prosecution said in court on Monday that they plan to call at least seven witnesses as they present their case. PREVIOUS: Rays' Wander Franco used his mother to pay the mother of a minor he is accused of abusing, documents say The other side Franco's lawyers said in court on Monday that some of the evidence against him is fraudulent and illegal. Defense attorneys also said that the underage girl denied having sexual relations with Franco. What they're saying In court on Monday, Franco promised to testify in his own defense, saying he wants justice to be served. "I heard all they said, but I wanted to say that justice must be done," Franco told the judges. Dig deeper According to the Associated Press, the trial could take up to eight months before a verdict is reached. Franco's fate will be decided by a panel of judges since there are no jury trials in the Dominican Republic. He faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted. RELATED: Rays' Wander Franco arrested in Dominican Republic after incident where guns were drawn: Reports Franco, who signed an 11-year, $182 million contract extension with the Rays in 2021 and hasn't played since 2023, is on Major League Baseball's restricted list, so he is no longer being paid by the team. He was being paid, though, for nearly a year after the investigation began. Franco was on administrative leave until prosecutors filed charges in July 2024, allowing him to receive 50% of his salary during that time. Any further discipline from MLB will likely be decided after the trial. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Regina Gonzalez. The Associated Press contributed to this report. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bay Area small businesses feel the squeeze of President Trump's tariffs
The Brief Bay Area small businesses took part in a roundtable discussion with Rep. Kathy Castor to discuss the impact of tariffs. Small businesses are facing increasingly high import prices since the tariffs were implemented. Many say the products they need are more expensive or are unavailable in the U.S. YBOR CITY, Fla. - A group of Tampa Baysmall business owners gathered in Ybor City on Monday to discuss the impacts they're experiencing following the Trump Administration's sweeping tariffs. U.S. Congresswoman Kathy Castor (D-Tampa) hosted the roundtable discussion at Blind Tiger Coffee Roasters on East 7th Avenue. "We want to know what the strategy is from the President of the United States. So far, it's been chaos and confusion," said Castor. Local perspective Among the business owners who joined Castor was Stephanie Swain, who owns Allen Shuffleboard in Seminole. They sell shuffleboard parts and equipment. RELATED: How much will China's tariffs cost consumers? Swain said her supplier is based in China, the one country not included in President Trump's 90-day pause on the tariffs he announced last week. "I have one order that cost me $12,000 in materials. I still have to pay for shipping, and now with the tariffs, it's going to be almost $30,000 by the time it gets here," Swain said, adding she had to put that order on hold. What they're saying Swain said she wants to buy materials from an American supplier, but it's too expensive. Some of the supplies she needs are no longer made in the U.S. "A lot of times, we can't afford to buy it at a price point that our customers can afford to pay for it," Swain said. "We've been trying to shift things into the U.S. for manufacturing, but not everything we've been able to." "We're not raising prices to make more money. We're actually raising prices just to stay in business," added Roberto Torres, who owns Blind Tiger and said he imports coffee beans from Central and South America. RELATED: Smartphones, laptops excluded from latest tariffs He added that coffee beans must be brought in from other countries because they aren't produced in the U.S. "We're not here to make it political about one extreme or the other. We're just here to highlight what the unintended consequences are," Torres said. Big picture view The president, meanwhile, has said he believes the tariffs are a way to force other countries to negotiate better trade deals with the U.S. "When the United States is punched, we will punch back harder," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said last week. "He hopes to make a deal that benefits the American worker and our companies that have been ripped off for far too long." The Source FOX 13's Aaron Mesmer collected the information in this story. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS LIVE: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
