MLB umpire Brian O'Nora pleads not guilty after arrest in Ohio sex sting
Veteran MLB umpire Brian O’Nora pleaded not guilty on two misdemeanor solicitation charges on Tuesday following his arrest in an Ohio sex sting operation during the weekend, according to USA Today’s Tom Schad.
O’Nora was reportedly released on a $5,000 bond and is due back in court on March 3, nearly a week after the beginning of spring training, as currently scheduled.
When reached by Yahoo Sports after O’Nora’s arrest was first reported, an MLB official said “We are aware of it and we have no comment.”
An MLB umpire since 1992, O’Nora has worked several special assignments over the years, including three All-Star Games, seven postseasons and the 2012 World Series. He is married with three children, per the New York Post.
Details of MLB ump’s arrest
O’Nora was one of 14 men to be arrested Sunday in a single-day operation targeting individuals trying to buy sex on the internet, according to the Ohio attorney general’s office.
According to an arrest report obtained by USA Today, O’Nora allegedly responded by phone to an online ad posted by authorities under the name “Kandi.” The umpire allegedly expressed an interest “in sexual activity for hire with Kandi” and agreed to meet at a motel in Youngstown, Ohio. There, he was arrested.
O’Nora reportedly faces charges of soliciting, which is a third-degree misdemeanor, and possessing criminal tools, a first-degree misdemeanor.
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