Ervin Santana ultimately compensated a Florida jeweler $58,000 for $42,150 worth of customized gems the Minnesota Twins pitcher claimed were phony, according to court records.
Major League Jewelers Inc. sued Santana in Miami for civil theft and defamation after he allegedly defaulted on a September 2014 purchase agreement.
Santana made an initial $2,150 payment on his $42,150 buy but refused to pay the balance because the jeweler failed to satisfy his specifications on necklaces, bracelets, pendants and earrings, he claimed in court records.
To prove the jewels were fake, Santana hired a gemologist to examine them, a tactic that backfired.