Bart Hernandez Indicted On Charges Of Trafficking Cuban Players

Bart Hernandez has been one of baseball’s most prominent people involved in the representation of Cuban players. Today, Hernandez was arrested at his Hollywood, Fla., home after being indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of human trafficking for conspiring to bring Cuban players into the United States illegally.

According to the indictment—Hernandez conspired with Eliezer Lazo and Joel Martinez Hernandez to smuggle a Cuban player into the United States for financial gain.

The player, Leonys Martin (identified in the indictment as “L.M.T.”), signed a five-year, $15.5 million contract with the Rangers in May 2011.

According to the indictment, prosecutors are seeking to recover $1.5 million from Hernandez and his company, Global Sports Management, that he received in commissions from Martin’s contract, as well as a 2001 Honda motorcycle.

The indictment also mentions contracts Hernandez negotiated for J.A.C.—Jose Abreu—and D.H.H.–Dalier Hinoja, who signed with the Red Sox for $4.25 million in October 2013.

According to the penalty sheet included within the indictment, the two counts Hernandez has been indicted on—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—each carry a maximum of 10 years in prison; count two carries a minimum of three years in prison.

Working with Praver Shapiro Sports Management, Hernandez has helped broker contracts for Martin, White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu, Cubs outfielder Jorge Soler, Marlins shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria, Dodgers shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena and most recently Dodgers righthander Yaisel Sierra, among many others. The agency, named for agents Barry Praver and Scott Shapiro, recently partnered with singer Marc Anthony to form Magnus Sports.

That agency recently began representing two prominent Cuban free agents, center fielder Guillermo Heredia and infielder Luis Yander La O, both of whom are exempt from Major League Baseball’s international bonus pools. Hernandez’s group also recently started to represent 20-year-old righthander Vladimir Gutierrez, a free agent subject to the bonus pools.

They agency also represents righthander Ronald Bolanos, an intriguing 19-year-old pitching prospect who pitched on Cuba’s 18U junior national team in 2014 and is subject to the bonus pools.