An arrest warrant was recently issued against Angels infielder Luis Rengifo in his home country of Venezuela, according to reports from local news outlets (h/t to Sam Blum of the Athletic). Authorities allege that Rengifo and certain members of his family falsified divorce papers in order to sell property that jointly belonged to Rengifo and his estranged wife to Rengifo’s sister without his wife’s consent in 2019. Rengifo’s father, sister and an attorney allegedly involved in the process — all of whom remain in Venezuela — have already been arrested, according to reports.
It is presently unknown if/how the allegations will affect Rengifo’s playing status. Blum notes that local reports were also unclear whether the Venezuelan government plans to submit a request to have Rengifo extradited to face charges.
The Angels have declined comment. Rengifo released a statement through a spokesperson, stating “I am aware of the allegations in Venezuela and have hired a new attorney to defend me and my family. Due to the pending legal proceedings and investigation phase in Venezuela, I am not permitted to comment any further on this matter” (via Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times). Rengifo remains on the active roster and got the start at shortstop tonight against the White Sox.
certainly an odd legal situation, that’s for sure
Don’t go back, Luis
So he should just let his family shoulder the responsibility for themselves? Your parents must be so proud of you.
I don’t really understand this comment. Are going to get an extra penalty of Luis doesn’t show up? Or are they going to get the same punishment they would get anyway with one less person punished? Guess I’m trying to understand what your version of “shoulder the responsibility” is. Not that what is alleged is right… but I don’t follow the idea of this post.
Well my thought is that since he probably has substantial evidence to the case that not going back would probably tilt the case against his family. They have not been convicted, just arrested. But how would it look if he chose to flee?
I realize the legal system in Venezuela is not the same as in the US, but I also don’t believe it is the bastion of evil that others assume. There are plenty of ballplayers that go to and from Venezuela and don’t become Wilson Ramos. It is HOME to these players.
LOL. HiFlew out here dishing morals about a legal system he admittedly knows nothing about and a case he learned about 10 minutes earlier. If you dont love the comment section on an obscure website, then you probably dont have a pulse.
bkbk and others — I am well-versed in Venezuela’s legal system and HiFlew is mostly right. Venezuela’s legal system is more egalitarian and much fairer on most issues than the U.S’s legal system (one exception is abortion which is mostly outlawed there, though may be soon enough in US as well). Part of the reason for this is that the people (including the poor), not politicians, of Venezuela wrote their Constitution. That had bled into how the legal system is amended, changed, interpreted, etc. Even some people heavily involved in coup attempts get three months in jail and then released. That would never happen in this country.
Not for nothing he shouldn’t go back down there no matter what, considering how life is down in Venezuela now. Not trying to get political but even without the potential for prison time, just the risks of everyday life down there and people knowing you play MLB even if not well known here, he would need bodyguards etc so he doesn’t get kidnapped for ransom like Wilson Ramos was a few years ago.
Shoulder by themselves!?! Think about this.. there’s a family in Venezuela, with one kid who’s made it to America making relative- to-Venezuela, big money. You’re saying his “shouldering the load” HAS to be facing some legal charges where he could go to jail for years…and possibly, never be allowed to get a US visa and leave the country again… instead of staying in the US and earning money, to support his family and their defense? How about you jump off that high horse, that’s some dumb logic
Vz is 3rd world status last cpl of decades and doubt there are any extradiction treaties between US-VZ, especially when Iran has become a leading trade partner of the broken financially VZ state.
For all we truly know, this could be some way to extort cash from Rengifo anyway. Vz isn’t exactly known to be trustworthy in any area of it’s legal system.
yeah, could be a Panarin situation
You nailed it. The minute I read this it took me back to the extortion that was going on with Russian NHL players.
I also heard the country of California is going to keep Clayton Kershaw from returning to Texas until his family sends $$$ for their “special “ bathrooms.
probably here on just a work visa!
So since he made it to America, he should just forget the people that helped him get here? Especially when HE seems to be the main party involved in this legal debacle. I seriously doubt his father, sister, or attorney decided to sell his joint property on their own. Just to even think that he should stay here and pay for the defense of the people that probably just helped him in the situation is simply abhorrent.
Would you run away to another country while your father and sister took the wrap for something you took part in? If not, then why would you think he should? If so, I really don’t want to spend any more time talking to you. Have a nice day.
Based on the allegation, Rengifo has taken part in this transaction as much as his sister. It is completely unclear whether he is the main suspect with regard to forging documents compared to both his father and his sister. So we simply do not know whether he lets other take the fall. At least for now our, your assumption comes off a bit baseless.
But even if that were true, it is safe to say that Rengifo can help his relatives much more being a free man in the US than from detention in Venezuela – with regard to both organizing their defense and financially. I read that at least in Brazil, a neighbor country to Venezuela, relatives are supposed to support family members in prison by providing money and/or consumer goods to them.
If I were in Rengifo’s father’s shoes, I would warn my son not to come to Venezuela, but to try and support my legal defense from the US. Rengifo’s MLB salaries should enable him to open a lot of doors in Venezuela, which could be extremely helpful and instrumental for his father and his sister.
Gruß,
BSHH
This is a really bad take to triple down on. No one should ever just go back to a country like Venezuela until your lawyer has alerted you that it’s safe to go back. Or ever…smh. Good thing this guy has more sense
Way to make a completely baseless comment. You really think things through huh?
Your assumptions are endless and awful
Their family attorney was literally arrested for his actions in this case. Have you ever been emailed a document, told to sign it, and send back the signature page? Everyone has. Do you read all 75 pages that preceded it? Hell, with fraud, how do YOU know Luis had any idea what was being signed?
It’s REAL easy for an attorney to falsify documents with Luis having zero clue what’s going on. There’s NO guarantee he was the mastermind behind this BS, no matter what you claim
And Luis isn’t running to another country. He’s already here! He wasn’t in Venezuela when the transaction occurred, far as we know. You’re just adding assumptions so you can make him sound worse, then trying to make it sound like I believe your BS assumptions. Why don’t you focus on the attorney who’s supposed to act in his clients best interests, yet HE’s the one behind bars? You just want a scapegoat so you can feel justified to lecture. Pathetic
BeforeMcCourt
Do you read all 75 pages that preceded it?
=================================
The 75-page document that I an required to check the box on regarding rights and obligations to log onto an Amazon online account, for example, no, I don’t read it.
If my lawyer hands me a document saying I am selling my house to another family member for a bargain price, I am pretty much going to ask a lot of questions. Like,”I don’t remember agreeing to this’.
You must think Rengifo is dumber than dirt if you think he signs papers just because his lawyer says, ‘just sign the last page and don’t waste your time reading it’.
Guess you don’t know what’s going on in Venezuela right now. Not sure what my parents have to do with advising someone not return to an authoritarian country that could do whatever they want to harm him.
He has to go back is just on a work visa in the u.s.
…unless his visa gets revoked while he’s gone…
I know nothing about the specifics of this case but just the concept of falsifying documents to sell an asset sounds about as white collar of a crime as possible. Not presuming either guilt or innocence but either way this seems like a legal issue that should be resolved fairly easily.
What an amazing thing the rich have gotten society to just accept…
“No, no, no…OUR crimes are different. They are “white collar” crimes. If caught, I’ll have my attorney on retainer issue a very heartfelt letter of apology and I’ll agree to repay 10% of what I stole. Not like you savage blue collar heathens, we need steel bars and concrete walls to hold you. Jaywalking with a blunt in your pocket and you can’t afford bail? No, you must be caged for the sake of society’s best interest.”
How many times were you beaned as a child?
It seems to be about money. Once you get caught you pay and make it go away. Or you get stupid and go to jail.
How much does a house in Venezuela even cost compared to how much he makes? Can’t he just make his exwife whole by paying her what is owed to her?
Why is this article open to commentary when other legal cases reported by MLBTR are not open to commentary, irrespective of the fact it involves Venezuela and not the USA.
Because this isn’t a DV issue
Venezuela is about as corrupt as they come, from the Marxist government on down. If guilty, Rengifo’s crime pales against what the VZ government does to its own people.
You’d think he’s been in America long enough to know the rules. And rule #1 is that money talks. Have his lawyer call up his wife, explain that it was all a misunderstanding and that they always intended on giving her half.
“Let me know what you think the property is worth, and the check will be in the mail this afternoon”
You realize he’s only making $500K-600K a year, right? It’s a very nice salary that most of us would love to make, but it’s not like he’s making millions, especially after taxes from two countries, the cost of living, agent’s fee, etc. are taken out.
Besides, his lawyer is in prison with his family …
Kje76
You realize he’s only making $500K-600K a year, right?
==================================
Of course, and his wife knows that as well, as does her lawyer. They won’t be asking for $10M. They will ask for an amount that they think he will agree to. Just like with DV cases, it is in her best interest that he walk away scott free.
His lawyer is the guilty one! Man why do you guys keep ignoring something so basic??
Good attorneys do not get arrested for a contract they drew up. Let that sink in
BeforeMcCourt
His lawyer is the guilty one!
=================================
I’m curious why you are telling us this? If you have evidence that the lawyer concocted this, then you should turn the evidence over to Rengifo’s current lawyer. You might get a handsome reward.
But since you aren’t going that direction, how about you post your evidence here instead?
And, not for nothing, MLB should suspend him. This isn’t the same as beating your wife, but I’d bet that 10x as many women suffer from financial abuse as they do from physical abuse.
Not sure if this is a joke on women’s spending habits or if you feel women are unable to financially support themselves?
I took it as basically face value – more women are left in financial distress than are actually physically harmed. I’m not sure that the 10X number is legit, but there’s probably an argument that it is more. Certainly in this case there seems to be something odd.
I have no idea how you could draw that conclusion from my remarks. Kindly explain.
Past that, do you have any idea of how many women are victimized by their spouses (and vice versa)? You have an arrangement where the husband takes care of the bills. Then one day the husband doesn’t come home, and the wife gets a call from the CC asking why you haven’t paid your bill in three months.
Or just a regular divorce case where the husband has emptied the accounts, and no one but him knows where the money is? You’re a little naive if you don’t think this happens.
…so because his sister and his lawyer committed fraud, he should be suspended in the same ilk as people who hit their spouse?
You drink today Joe? Your takes are real hot
You keep saying that. Please show us your evidence.
And I agree 100% that, if Rengifo shows the commissioner evidence of his innocence, I’m fine with letting him play.
This comment section once more underscores why the world considers U.S. Americans to be the dumbest, most brainwashed and racist people on this planet.
Inane statements regarding Venezuela and its citizens from dimwits who wouldn’t be able to pinpoint the country on a map.
Dwelling paycheck to paycheck in some cardboard shack with neither a passport nor the financial means to travel abroad obviously takes its toll on a nation’s collective intellect.
You sound very bitter and bigoted against Americans.
Who hurt you little boy?
waldfee
Dwelling paycheck to paycheck in some cardboard shack
==============================
You’re giving Americans too much credit. There are lot of countries, with a lot less money than us, that live very happy lives.
There was an interview a while back that might enlighten you. They were interviewing some dude from Africa. When he said his area was doing okay, the guy questioning him was taken aback and said, ‘but you come from a poor area’.
The guy responded that, because they were poor, no one ever bothered them. Diamonds, gold, and oil would’ve ruined the place.
Think about it.
Is he here on a work visa? If so, wouldn’t he be forced to go home once the season is over?
Correct
This is why the Dodgers nixed the Pedersen trade after all.