[ESPN] Ugueth Urbina Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison

countingcrow · Mar 28, 2007

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2815590

Master Baiter · Mar 28, 2007

Not that I would want to go to prison anywhere, but Venezuela is pretty high on the list where I would most not want to serve time.

weslinder · Mar 28, 2007

I knew people in my previous job who were connected with Ugie's family. This is not the first time they have had family members face charges on very weak evidence. Ugie's family had money, and they were on the wrong side of the revolution. In Venezuela, if you had any connection to the old government, you cannot get a fair trial.

countingcrow · Mar 28, 2007

weslinder said:

I knew people in my previous job who were connected with Ugie's family. This is not the first time they have had family members face charges on very weak evidence. Ugie's family had money, and they were on the wrong side of the revolution. In Venezuela, if you had any connection to the old government, you cannot get a fair trial.
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Wow...interesting.

Rocketman95 · Mar 28, 2007

countingcrow said:

Wow...interesting.
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Not to derail too much, but did anyone pick Urbina in your fantasy draft? Has it happened yet? Sorry I didn't respond, but I don't check that e-mail often. If the draft hasn't happened yet, I'd like to play.

JuanValdez · Mar 28, 2007

To save folks the trouble of clicking:

Urbina sentenced to prison in Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Former Major League Baseball pitcher Ugueth Urbina was sentenced to 14 years in prison for the attempted murder of five workers on his family's ranch, the Attorney General's Office announced Wednesday.

Urbina, a former pitcher with the Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies, was also found guilty of illegal deprivation of liberty and violating a prohibition against taking justice into his own hands during a dispute over a gun on Oct. 16, 2005, according to a statement from the Attorney General's Office.

"I am very disappointed and upset," his agent, Peter Greenberg, told ESPN. "We're hopeful that the judicial process will exonerate Uggie. I firmly believe he's innocent."

The 33-year-old free agent was accused of joining a group of men in attacking and injuring workers with machetes and pouring gasoline on them at his family's ranch, located about 25 miles south of Caracas.

"The ruling was too severe," said Jose Antonio Baez, a former attorney who represented Urbina.

Urbina repeatedly has denied involvement in the violent attack, saying he was sleeping at the time.

But Wuanyer Perez, the attorney for the accusers, told ESPN that "justice has been served" and indicated that his clients will seek damages in civil court.

"We think it is an excellent sentence. The victims consider this an important example that anyone with power, influence and money is not above the law," Perez said. "It is an example for the entire world, not just for Venezuela, that everyone is on equal ground when it comes to the law and justice."

"There is an appeal process here in Venezuela and we are prepared to answer if they decide to take that route," Perez said. "Now that the criminal case is concluded, we are prepared to take this case to the civil side and we will seek damages. The victims have gotten better, but the psychological impact remains."

The pitcher's lawyer, Jose Luis Tamayo, has said that Urbina surprised the workers by showing up at his ranch that night while they were bathing in the pool without permission. Urbina spoke sharply to them, but later left and went to sleep, according to Tamayo.

Urbina, a two-time All-Star, last pitched in the major leagues with the Phillies in 2005. He's 30th on the all-time saves list with 237. He had two saves in the 2003 World Series for the victorious Marlins.

In 11 major league seasons with the Expos, Boston Red Sox, Rangers, Marlins, Tigers and Phillies, Urbina went 44-49 with a 3.45 ERA. He led the National League with 41 saves in 1999 with the Expos and was third in the AL with 40 saves for the Red Sox in 2002.
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countingcrow · Mar 28, 2007

Rocketman95 said:

Not to derail too much, but did anyone pick Urbina in your fantasy draft? Has it happened yet? Sorry I didn't respond, but I don't check that e-mail often. If the draft hasn't happened yet, I'd like to play.
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Sorry man...the draft took place last weekend. I had sent an invitation to you a couple weeks prior to the draft but never heard anything back from you. I created a thread ( http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=125646 ) in the fantasy forum and I thought you might have noticed it and responded in it but I guess you didn't see it. I never see you on AIM anymore so I assumed you have been really busy. I waited until 2 days before the draft before I replaced you.

What is the best way to contact you so that I'll know when I set up the football league in August?

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[ESPN] Ugueth Urbina Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison

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