New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez. Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez allegedly paid his cousin Yuri Sucart almost $1 million to remain quiet about Rodriguez’s use of performance-enhancing drugs, the New York Daily News reported.
Sucart is a defendant in a federal case involving Biogenesis at the moment, and he pleaded not guilty.
The Daily News story said Sucart threatened to expose Rodriguez’s secrets about his drug use unless Rodriguez paid him “enormous sums of money,” according to court papers filed last week in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Rodriguez agreed to a confidential settlement with Sucart on June 5, 2013, in which Rodriguez would make one $700,000 payment to Sucart to remain silent, then make three more payments totaling $200,000.
According to court papers, Sucart’s former attorney, Jeffrey Sonn, demanded in a Dec. 18, 2012 letter that Rodriguez pay $5 million and a “life estate” for Sucart and his wife.
Rodriguez admitted in 2009 that he received performance-enhancing drugs from Sucart when Rodriguez played for the Texas Rangers. Rodriguez was told by the Yankees to keep Sucart away from the team, although Rodriguez stayed in contact with Sucart.
Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com reported via Twitter that Rodriguez spokesman Ron Berkowitz said, “At some point in the future, Alex will have something to say. Today is not the time. When it is time, everyone will hear from Alex.”
