MLB agent Bart Hernandez indicted on human trafficking charges
MLB agent Bart Hernandez was arrested Friday in Miami after being indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of human trafficking, according to Yahoo! Sports and ESPN.
The charges are “conspiracy to encourage and induce an alien to enter the United States, and bringing an alien into the United States for the purpose of financial gain,” according to Baseball America. The charges carry a minimum punishment of three years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.
Hernandez has specialized in representing Cuban players, including Leonys Martin, Jose Abreu and Jorge Soler.
Martin is the focus the indictment. Prosecutors allege that Hernandez and two already convicted smugglers conspired to bring Martin to the United States.
Martin filed a lawsuit in 2013 alleging that the convicted smugglers held him hostage in 2011 when he defected from Cuba and forced him to pay $1.35 million for bringing him out of Cuba.
Hernandez previously worked for the Praver Shapiro agency and is now employed by Magnus Sports.
