Ex-White Sox scout pleads guilty to fraud

Posted March 09, 2011 10:00 pm

Associated Press

CHICAGO — A former Chicago White Sox scout has pleaded guilty in an alleged kickback scheme targeting players from impoverished parts of Latin America who were determined to play in the U.S.

Dominican-born Victor Mateo pleaded guilty to wire fraud Thursday in a Chicago federal court. Speaking in a quiet voice in Spanish, the 40-year-old also apologized.

Prosecutors say Mateo and two others were supposed to pay signing bonuses matching a player's skill but fraudulently inflated amounts and took the added money.

Mateo recently travelled from Latin America to turn himself in.

He faces a maximum 20-year prison term though prosecutors are recommending a couple years at most. He'll be allowed to leave the country as he awaits sentencing.

Last month, former White Sox scouting executive David Wilder pleaded guilty to the same scheme.

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