Hanley Ramirez is being investigated at the federal and state level for his connection to a massive drug distribution ring centered in Lawrence, reports ABC News' Michele McPhee.
Earlier Friday, McPhee tweeted Ramirez was the target of a federal and state inquiry. She expanded on her report in an interview with WAAF. In it, McPhee said a man who was arrested on drug trafficking charges FaceTimed Ramirez during a car stop that led to the seizure of large quantities of drugs. The suspect was later arrested for carrying 435 grams of fentanyl. ...
The Red Sox say they weren't aware of the situation when they cut Ramirez. "We moved Hanley off the roster for baseball reasons," team president Sam Kennedy [said] Friday. ...
The arrest that McPhee references in her interview with WAAF matches the description of Delcio Rodriguez's booking on June 8. Rodriguez was arrested for carrying 435 grams of fentanyl and seven grams of crack during a car stop in Methuen, according to a press release from the Massachusetts attorney general's office. Investigators later discovered an additional 100 grams of fentanyl and 51 grams of crack and powder cocaine at Rodriguez's home.
Alex Reimer, WEEI:
ABC News' Michele McPhee, who broke the story that Ramirez is "being eyed" in an ongoing federal and state investigation, spelled out the timeline in an interview with WEEI Friday night:
April 25: Forty-five individuals are arrested in Massachusetts and New Hampshire for allegedly participating in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. Of those 45 people, 21 are from Lawrence.
May 25: Red Sox designate Hanley Ramirez for assignment. He was hitting .254/.313/.395 with six home runs in 195 plate appearances.
May 30: Delcio Rodriguez is pulled over in Lawrence for a traffic stop. Police search his car and find a "big black box" in the backseat, McPhee reports. According to McPhee, Rodriguez permits the police to examine everything, except the box. He FaceTimes Ramirez, and claims the box belongs to him. Ramirez denies it.
June 1: Red Sox officially release Ramirez. He remains unsigned.
June 8: Rodriguez is arrested as part of an ongoing investigation after law enforcement officials found him to be in possession of 435 grams of fentanyl and seven grams of crack. Investigators also discovered 100 grams of fentanyl and 51 grams of crack and powder cocaine at his Lawrence home. The "big black box" in question also contained fentanyl, per McPhee's sources. ...
Rodriguez said Ramirez owned a black box filled with fentanyl, which Ramirez denied.
Michele McPhee, interviewed on Boston's 98.5 The Hub:
Obviously, I know nothing about sports of Hanley Ramirez's stats, but what I do know is crime. And there has been some reports about a FaceTime phone call that was made between a man during a car stop. After that car stop, police recovered a significant amount of drugs. And during that car stop, the suspect claimed that one of the items found in the vehicle belonged to Hanley Ramirez and then FaceTimed [Ramirez] in front of police. And that car stop coordinated with the timing of his release from the Red Sox.Sean McAdam, Boston Sports Journal:
Ramirez's longtime agent, Adam Katz, released a statement saying: "Hanley has no knowledge of any of the allegations contained in this media report and he is not aware of any investigation."Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic:
The report that emerged Friday — from ABC News investigative reporter Michele McPhee suggesting Ramirez could be linked to a criminal investigation — makes the Sox' abrupt decision to part ways with their veteran slugger even more curious. ...
Ramirez, 34, has not been charged with a crime or identified by law enforcement officials as a target of an investigation.
"Hanley Ramirez has some... well, issues."
ReplyDeleteIt was Laura (I think--I've always given her credit anyway) who taught me how unnecessary the "x, well, x" thing is. An example of its usage would be "this dog thinks bad dog food is, well, FOR THE DOGS." We know what you mean, you don't need the "well." And besides, it's overdone. (I'd use "that being said" here, but that's one *Allan* helped me kick.) But in the case of this tweet, she doesn't even have a *reason* for the "well." He has issues? Fine. What's the pun? What is the "well" even for? Was there a stack of magazines in the car?
Beats me. I guess she's trying to be funny by putting as delicately as possible. Like if he's involved in a massive drug running operation, it's serious bad news. It's more than just an "issue". So that's the joke. She soft-pedals it, right? Like Hanley is not very fond of ... well, strawberry ice cream. Is that irony? Sarcasm? An inability to ... well, write? (Or maybe that should be 'an inability to write well'! Hi-ooooohhh!)
ReplyDeleteOkay I guess I see what she meant now. Maybe since I'm seeing this* as a unsubstantiated report rather than fact (right?) I'm thinking "issues" is a strong word rather than a purposely delicate word.
ReplyDelete*The part about Hanley being involved.