Report: Loaiza expected to plead guilty in cocaine distribution case
Former major-league pitcher Esteban Loaiza is expected to plead guilty in a United States federal cocaine distribution case, Chuck Goudie and Ross Weidner of ABC7 report.
Loaiza has a "Change of Plea" hearing scheduled for Friday after initially pleading not guilty to a charge of possession with intent to distribute 44 pounds (20 kilograms) of cocaine. This type of hearing results in a guilty plea in "99 percent of cases," according to former federal prosecutor Gil Soffer.
"I have no comment at this time," Loaiza's attorney, Janice Deaton, said Monday.
The 46-year-old Loaiza was arrested in February when the cocaine was found inside a minivan parked in the garage of a townhouse he'd rented near San Diego.
This is a new one: Esteban Loaiza, drug kingpin.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 12, 2018
The second-winningest pitcher from Mexico in MLB history was arrested Friday with 20 kilos of heroin or cocaine, according to San Diego police records. He'll be in court Wednesday to face felony drug charges. Details are in pics. pic.twitter.com/312pf21Q4F
If convicted, Loaiza could face at least 10 years - and up to life - in prison.
Over 14 seasons in the major leagues, Loaiza pitched for eight different franchises including the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, and Toronto Blue Jays. He finished second in AL Cy Young voting in 2003 when he went 21-9 with a 2.90 ERA as a member of the White Sox.