The Indians pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona was arrested in the Dominican Republic this week for using a false identity. Carmona, or Roberto Hernadez Heredia if you prefer, has been pitching with the assumed name since 2000. So what led to his arrest several years later? Apparently a dispute over the amount of money he would have paid the real Fausto Carmona to continue using the false identity.
Pedro Gomez reported on Outside the Lines Friday that the real Fausto Carmona’s mother went on a popular radio show in the Dominican Republic and outed fake Fausto Carmona. The U.S. government began investigating after the radio appearance. When fake Fausto went to apply for a visa, he was arrested.
So why did real Fausto’s mother out the fake Fausto? Because of a monetary dispute.
Gomez says the Carmona family wanted a pay raise when they learned the pitcher was going to receive a salary bump. When fake Fausto balked, the mother outed him, leading to his arrest.
This saga reminds me of the Reggie Bush payment gone wrong. We’ve learned once again that if you’ve agreed to pay someone as part of a nefarious plan, it’s best not to go against that.
