Wander Franco warned ‘not to even try’ to return to the US while on bail amid ongoing investigation into alleged inappropriate relationship with a minor – despite MLB star, 22, on $182m deal with Tampa Bay Rays

Wander Franco has been warned against attempting to enter the United States while he is under investigation for an alleged inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old in the Dominican Republic, despite being cleared to leave the country.

Tampa Bay Rays star Franco, 22, posted $35,000 bail and left jail Monday afternoon, with a judge allowing him to leave the country if he wishes, provided he reports to authorities once a month in his country of birth.

But that likely doesn’t mean he can return to the United States and practice with the Rays — or even think about playing for them — ahead of the new season.

Franco is accused of having a brief relationship with the then 14-year-old girl and giving her mother thousands of dollars and a car in exchange for her consent.

Javad Khazaeli, a former U.S. immigration prosecutor, said The Athletics: ‘Barring a full exoneration in this case, where it turns out this is all fabricated, I don’t see him coming back (to the United States) anytime soon, if ever.

“The likelihood that he would enter the US even if he had a valid visa that was not revoked is minimal.

“To be honest, if I were his immigration lawyer, I’d tell him not to even try. That would leave him open to arrest at the border and held in custody here until an administrative ruling on these claims.”

According to The Athletic, Franco has a five-year P1-A athlete visa that allows him to travel from the Dominican Republic to become a professional athlete in the US, but it could be revoked if he is deemed a threat to public safety.

Franco denied the allegations when they first surfaced in a video on his Instagram Story. He is also under investigation by Major League Baseball, which placed him on the administrative list on August 22.

His contract with the Rays is worth a whopping $182 million and he signed an 11-year contract in November 2021.

Franco was arrested last week after missing a meeting with the prosecutor investigating the case.

The MLB star was transported to the Puerto Plata courthouse on Friday morning, arriving in handcuffs and escorted by police.

According to the Associated Press, the judge received a nearly 600-page document detailing evidence prosecutors collected during a months-long investigation.

Franco has not been charged with any crimes and has previously denied any wrongdoing.

The minor girl, who has not been named for legal reasons, told investigators from the Dominican Republic that her mother took advantage of her relationship with Franco for her own benefit.

“Since I was little, my mother has seen me as a way for her to take advantage of both the partners she has had and my partners, and it is something I really hate,” the minor said, according to a court document obtained by the Dominican Republic. news broadcast Noticias Sin.