Major League Baseball

Dominican police accuse MLB investigator of fraud

Published Nov. 4, 2011 7:26 p.m. ET

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A Major League Baseball investigator in the Dominican Republic has been charged with falsifying the identity of a prospect so the player could obtain a contract with a $135,000 signing bonus.

Authorities accused Kleiber Miguel Bruno Gonzalez on Thursday of accepting $25,000 and conspiring with a scout and an independent trainer to alter the player's identity. Police did not identify the other people involved.

The U.S. Embassy helped police with the investigation, which found that the player spent two years living with a woman who pretended to be his mother, according to authorities.

Bruno worked for an office MLB established in the Dominican Republic in 2002 to oversee and control possible fraud cases, an ongoing problem in the Caribbean country.

In September, Dominican authorities arrested a man accused of falsifying documents for Florida Marlins closer Leo Nunez. Authorities have said the player's real name is Juan Carlos Oviedo and that he is 29, a year older than listed in the team media guide.

National District Assistant Prosecutor Jose Dantes Diaz told The Associated Press his office will keep pursuing all possible false identity cases involving local players.

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