Fausto Carmona Arrest: Indians Pitcher Released on Bail Following ID Fraud

The Indians pitcher known to date as Fausto Carmona has been released from jail in the Dominican Republic on bail, but it is unclear how long it might be before he is able to return to the United States.

Carmona, whose real name is actually Roberto Hernadez Heredia, was arrested Thursday in the Dominican Republic, charged with using a fake identity.

In addition to falsifying his name, Carmona (or Hernandez) also apparently lied about his age as well. In the Indians media guides, Carmona is listed as 28 years old. However, it was recently found out that he is actually 31 years old, according to Yahoo Sports.

“I ask for the forgiveness of my fans, the government of the United States and the Cleveland Indians for this situation,” Carmona was quoted as saying as he exited a courthouse Friday.

Carmona’s lawyer, Joaquin Perez, indicated to the AP that the pitcher would speak more at a later date.

The Carmona/Hernandez arrest comes on the heels of the arrest last summer of Juan Carlos Oviedo, who was pitching for the Marlins under the name Leo Nunez.

Oviedo returned to the Dominican to face charges, and while he has signed a $6 million contract for 2012, he is still working through legal issues that would allow him to return to the United States.

Since his debut with the Indians club in 2007, Fausto has accumulated a win-loss card of 53-66 with a 4.59 ERA and 565 strikeouts over four seasons with the Tribe.

His breakout season came in 2007, where he went 19-8 with a 3.06 ERA and 137 strikeouts.

In 2010, Carmona made it to the All-Star squad for the first time and finished the season on 13-14 slate with a 3.77 ERA and 124 strikeouts.

As of this writing there was no word on what charges Carmona (or Hernandez) will face, or what effect the ID fraud incident will have on his contract with the Indians.

Here’s a clip by ESPN’s Enrique Rojas on the Fausto Carmona arrest:

via USA TODAY