Major League Baseball has suspended a Dominican prospect after an alleged identity-fraud scheme that reportedly involved a fake name, a false age, altered paperwork and even a fabricated gravestone.
According to an ESPN report, David Severino was presented as a switch-hitting infielder who was around 14 years old and had reached a $2.8 million agreement with the Guardians. That deal was supposed to be finalized in 2029, when he would turn 17 and become eligible to sign.
But the investigation reportedly says Severino is really Daury David Severino Damaso, and that he is 16. The report says the identity of David Severino Damaso was created with the consent of his parents and the help of a trainer so Daury could pass as a younger brother. A fake, late-filed birth registration was allegedly created under that name, along with falsified medical records.
The alleged scheme didn’t stop there. Two years later, ESPN reported that a fraudulent death certificate was filed for Daury, claiming he had died of a respiratory illness back in 2012. The report also says a fake tombstone was placed at a gravesite in the DR.
The idea, according to the report, was to have Daury compete under the name David Severino, giving him the look of a younger prospect and helping his stock because he would have been facing players who were a few years older.
MLB’s suspension means Severino now has to wait an extra year to enter the international amateur market and become eligible to officially sign with a team. The Guardians have not yet commented publicly.
The report also says Cleveland is not facing discipline from MLB for any role in the pre-contract agreement.
Identity and age fraud do surface from time to time in international signings, especially in poorer parts of the world where families are chasing life-changing contracts.
This isn’t the first time Cleveland has dealt with a case like this, either. Years after he had already pitched in the majors, it came out that Fausto Carmona was actually Roberto Hernandez, and that he had also falsified his age to qualify for a contract. Hernandez, then known as Carmona, was excellent in 2007, when Cleveland finished one win shy of the World Series.
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