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Day 4 of the trial of Yasiel Puig went dark, literally, on Friday.
The trial had to be moved to the Roybal Federal Building Friday because the Los Angeles federal courthouse on First Street remained closed to the public due to a power outage that began Thursday.
In 2022, Puig acknowledged that over only a few months in 2019 he wracked up more than $280,000 in losses while wagering on tennis, football and basketball games through a third party who worked for an illegal gambling operation run by Wayne Nix, a former minor league baseball player.
Puig placed at least 900 bets through Nix-controlled betting websites and through a man who worked for Nix, authorities said.
In November 2022, Puig agreed to plead guilty to lying to federal law enforcement officers regarding the bets placed. In 2025, a federal appeals court agreed with a trial court ruling that Puig's plea deal had not been accepted by a court.
Puig, 35, is charged with obstruction of justice and two counts of making false statements to federal investigators. If found guilty, he faces a significant amount of time in prison.
Each count of making a false statement carries up to five years in prison, while the obstruction of justice charge carries up to a 10-year term of imprisonment should Puig be convicted at trial.
Aside from the power outage and change of venue, Friday's proceedings were mostly uneventful.
The Los Angeles federal courthouse will remain closed on Monday.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
