Hall of Famer David “Big Papi” Ortiz alleges that he is a “victim of extortion” as hackers and unscrupulous people obtained an old cellphone and are threatening to “sell” elements of his personal life if he doesn’t pay.
“They navigated through my personal life and have wanted to extort me through that,” Big Papi said in Spanish on a video clip.
Is This An Extortion Plot?
Ortiz has reported the incident to the authorities here in the United States and his native country, the Dominican Republic.
“The criminals know that we are watching them closely and here in the United States, the FBI, the DEA and now in the Dominican Republic the Intelligence Department and the police,” Ortiz said. “They are taking action over this.”
What info does Papi have on his old cellphone that could be used by someone to extort him? This can’t just be basic info you’d find on anyone’s phone. There must be something sensitive Papi doesn’t want released.
2019 Shooting By Drug Kingpin
In 2019 Dominican drug kingpin César Peralta had Ortiz shot at a nightclub in D.R. and reports differ as to the reason for the shooting.
Ortiz hired a private investigator who concluded that Peralta was jealous of Ortiz and felt disrespected by the slugger, and that was the reason for the attempted hit.
Rumors floated that Ortiz might have been involved with one of Peralta’s women.
Peralta’s lawyer, Joaquin Perez, maintains that his client had nothing to do with the attempted murder of Ortiz and described the two men as “close friends.”
Ortiz denied the characterization of their relationship, saying he only knew Peralta “casually.”
What are the chances that this alleged extortion plot has something to do with the attempt on Ortiz’s life? Maybe he is being targeted because he’s the famous son from the D.R.
In the video explaining the extortion, Ortiz told people not to accept offers for hacked materials.
“Because it was something totally illegal,” Ortiz said. “Besides that, this same person six months ago did bank fraud on my bank accounts. … I wouldn’t want any of my beautiful people from the Dominican Republic to get involved in this. And take part in this. Because we are taking legal action. Because this has to do with fraud and extortion.”
Strange things for a rich former Major League Baseball player to be involved in.
Ortiz recovered from the shooting and is currently a studio analyst for Fox Sports’ MLB coverage.
