As an outfielder who spent seven of his 13 MLB seasons as a slugging star outfielder for the L.A. Dodgers, Raul Mondesi was a formidable package of speed and power, surpassing the coveted 30-30 mark three times and winning NL Rookie of the Year in 1994.
Born in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, Mondesi rose from modest beginnings, carved out a career in which he reportedly made $66.5M and then rose to mythic status when he became mayor of his hometown from 2010-16.
Mondesi could have gone down in history as one of the most honorable and transcending figures in baseball history.
Instead he chose to use his power for corruption.
Mondesi has been sentenced to six years and nine months in prison, along with a fine of 30 million pesos (approximately $500,000). The San Cristóbal Collegiate Court handed down the sentence for embezzlement during his tenure as mayor of San Cristóba.
Mondesi’s sentencing follows a plea agreement between the prosecutor’s office and his defense. He will, however, get to serve the first six years of that sentence under house arrest, with the knowledge that he still has to do nine months behind bars for.
Why Was Former LA Dodgers Star Raul Mondesi Sentenced To Six Years?
Mondesi, 53, will serve his sentence after completing six years of house arrest. This punishment was initially imposed in 2017 for corruption and mishandling public funds.
Aside from Mondesi, the former secretary general of the mayor’s office, Bienvenido Araujo Japa, and the former treasurer, Jesús Antonio Ferreira, were sentenced to three years, including one year under house arrest for their roles in the disheartening embezzlement case.
At the beginning of the 2023 season, 104 players from the Dominican Republic were on an MLB roster. That’s the most for any country outside of the United States and 11% of MLB players.
The multi-tooled Mondesi broke into baseball in the early ’90s and was one of the early inspirations for what has become a Dominican explosion in MLB, with the game’s all-time great players over the past two decades – from Pedro Martinez to David Ortiz to Albert Pujols – hailing from that country.
Mondesi racked up 271 homers and 229 steals while also playing for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Angels, and Atlanta Braves, finishing his career with a .273 batting average, before retiring from baseball in 2015 in 2005 and transitioning into politics, being elected mayor of his hometown in 2010.
How Much Did Mondesi Steal?
The attorney general’s office charged Mondesi of mishandling public funds to the tune of $6.3 million while he was mayor of San Cristobal from 2010-16, according to the court.
The former treasurer and secretary of San Cristobal were sentenced to seven years in prison, the court said.
How did Raul Mondesi Become Mayor Of San Cristobal?
Joining the Dominican Liberation Party, Mondesi contested for a seat in the Dominican Republic’s Chamber of Deputies, representing his home, San Cristóbal.
He was elected in May 2006 but after 1.5 years, he switched allegiances to the Dominican Revolutionary Party, which always comes with future problems.
Three years later, Raul Mondesi was elected mayor of his hometown on May 16, 2010. Barely a year into his term, allegations of widespread misconduct started making headlines and he was being tried and sentenced.
It was a long rise and a short fall for Raul Mondesi who never even got to scratch the surface of the good he could have done from his hometown. Instead, he chose to be another corrupt politician stealing money from hard-working people. The house arrest is actually a blessing for him, because living behind those steel gates as someone who deceived the people is a whole other situation.
Raul Mondesi Has An MLB Son
Raúl Adalberto Mondesí played in the Kansas City Royals organization from 2015-2022, winning a World Series in 2015 and leading the American League in steals in 2020. The 28-year-old is currently a free agent playing in DR.