Major League Baseball has suspended a top prospect from the Dominican Republic following the uncovering of an elaborate scheme to defraud the league regarding his age.
The investigation reportedly revealed a plot involving a fictitious death and a fabricated tombstone, all designed to make the player appear nearly two years younger than his actual age. According to reports, the player's handler falsified a birth certificate, along with medical and school records, to construct a new identity.
The Cleveland Guardians had agreed to a $2.8 million pre-deal with the player, identified as David Severino, in December. The team believed him to be 13 or 14 years old, making him eligible to sign in 2029 when he would turn 17. However, the scheme began to unravel at this stage.
It later emerged that Severino's real name is Daury David Severino Damaso, and he is 16 years old, born on April 2, 2010. The MLB investigation found that his former trainer, Francisco Nieves, allegedly created the new identity, posing as the player's younger brother with parental consent.
Daury became David through a series of falsified documents, including a birth registration with a December 20, 2011, date of birth. In a further development, a fraudulent death certificate was reportedly filed for Daury two years later, claiming he died of respiratory illness in May 2012. A fake tombstone was allegedly created in the Dominican Republic.
John Pereyra, a trainer who worked with Severino, told ESPN that while he had heard of false birth documents, the extent of this deception was unprecedented. "I've heard about false birth documents and stuff like that, but to put together what this guy did - that's movie stuff," Pereyra said. "That's the first time I've ever seen anything like that in the Dominican. In my life, I have never seen anything like that."
Severino would have been eligible for the class of 2027 but now faces a suspension, delaying his entry into the international amateur market by a year. At the time of the alleged deception, he was competing against 12 and 13-year-old players, whereas he should have been playing with 16 and 17-year-olds in the Dominican Summer League.