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David Ortiz Was a Target for Hustlers, Criminals Throughout His Career, Report Says

Before the shooting in the Dominican Republic that left him severely injured, David Ortiz had previous encounters with criminals and hustlers, The Boston Globe reported Sunday.

The Red Sox great was able to move to the United States in the early 90s as a top baseball prospect, leaving behind the crime-infested streets of the Dominican capital, Santo Domingo, his hometown. However, Ortiz never left behind people from his homeland who sought to use him for their own good, according to the report.

In 2005, Ortiz's personal assistant allegedly bet $2,000 on Red Sox games that Ortiz was involved in and in 2010, was sentenced to serve time for lying about his U.S. citizenship, the report says. Ortiz denied involvement in both incidents.

Ortiz was a victim of attempted extortion in 2012, the Globe report says. An ex-convict, in the room with Ortiz, filmed him allegedly flirting with women in a private room of a Boston nightclub. The man threatened to release the tape before being arrested by the FBI.

A Red Sox spokesman told the Globe the Ortiz family would not comment on details in the report.

Ortiz is continuing to recover from his gunshot wounds at Massachusetts General Hospital. Two weeks ago, he underwent a third surgery for complications, according to his wife Tiffany.

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