10 people convicted of attempted murder of Red Sox legend David Ortiz

A Dominican court convicted 10 people involved in the crime 2019 attempted killing by Baseball Hall of Famer David Ortiz, authorities confirmed on Tuesday.

Ortiz, a Dominican native, was ambushed by a man who got off a motorcycle and shot him in the back at point-blank range while the former Red Sox slugger was with friends at a bar in an affluent neighborhood of Santo Domingo.

Two men, including suspected gunman Rolfi Ferreyra Cruz, have been sentenced to 30 years in prison each by the First Collegial Court of Santo Domingo.

Eight others received prison sentences ranging from 5 to 20 years. Three other defendants were acquitted due to insufficient evidence, including Victor Hugo Gomez Vasquezaccused of planning the attack.

American private investigators hired by Ortiz said the thug is affectionately nicknamed Big Papi was targeted by a Dominican drug dealer who was jealous of him.

Former Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis’ findings contradicted a previous theory by law enforcement in the Dominican Republic that the hitman was actually hired to shoot Ortiz’s cousin Sixto David Fernandez, who was sitting at the same table.

Dominican authorities said the killers mistook Fernandez for Ortiz, one of the country’s most popular ballplayers.

A fearsome power hitter with a ready smile, Ortiz led the Red Sox to three World Series championships, was a 10-time All-Star and hit 541 homers before retiring in 2016. He was living in the Dominican Republic part of the year when he was shot.

Ortiz was seriously injured in the June 2019 shooting. Doctors in the Dominican Republic removed Ortiz’s gallbladder and part of his intestines after the shooting, and he underwent further surgery in the United States

The crimes for which the 10 men were convicted included criminal association, use of illegal firearms, attempted murder and complicity, the court said in a statement.

Authorities noted that further details of the sentencing will be released on February 8, 2023.