Man accused of funding David Ortiz shooting is drug trafficker: reports

The man who allegedly footed the $7,800 bill for the failed hit on Red Sox slugger David Ortiz is a convicted drug trafficker, according to local media reports.

Alberto Miguel Rodriguez Mota — who is still at large — was named by prosecutors Monday as the money man behind the June 9 operation in the Dominican Republic that left the retired Red Sox star fighting for life in the hospital.

According to Dominican newspapers Diario Libre and El Caribe, Rodriguez Mota was accused in 2011 of supplying drugs to smaller traffickers in the capital city of Santo Domingo.

Rodriguez Mota and an accomplice were both found in possession of a combined 500 grams of cocaine and marijuana and Rodriguez Mota was sentenced to five years in prison, the outlets reported citing a rap sheet from the National Directorate of Drug Control.

It’s unclear if Mota, 36, ordered the shooting or simply footed the bill, but court documents obtained by The Boston Globe allege that he’s the man behind the cash. Authorities have not revealed the alleged motive.

Attorney General Jean Alain Rodriguez said his office would release more information about the case on Wednesday. So far they have arrested 11 people.

Prosecutors allege Mota helped orchestrate the failed murder-for-hire operation with fellow suspect José Eduardo Ciprian Lebrón who is already in prison serving a homicide sentence.

Ortiz, a 10-time All-Star and three-time World Series winner, is still recovering in intensive care at a hospital in Boston, and his wife Tiffany announced on Tuesday that doctors had upgraded his condition to “good.’

“We remain grateful to everyone who has helped David through this ordeal, both in the Dominican Republic and here in Boston,” Tiffany Ortiz said in a statement released through the Red Sox.

“David’s journey to good health has been bolstered by the many expressions of love that have come to us from across the globe. Your support has lifted his spirits tremendously during this challenging time.”

Prosecutors have said they will reveal the “full narrative of how the case happened” on Wednesday.

Source: Read Full Article