Ohtani Interpreter Charged With Stealing Over $16m From Baseball Star

Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani interpreter charged with stealing from baseball star, Shohei. He was charged with bank fraud.

Ippei Mizuhara, longtime interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, has been charged by US officials with bank fraud in the wake of a betting scandal. Mr. Mizhuara was accused by the California chief prosecutor of posing as Mr. Ohtani in order to place bets and visit institutions. At a press conference in Los Angeles on Thursday, US Attorney Martin Estrada stated, “Mr. Ohtani is considered a victim in this case.” When word of the purported theft spread last month, Mr. Mizuhara, 39, was let go.

The interpreter, according to the prosecution, wagered with Mr. Ohtani’s money and deposited the gains into an account under his control. Authorities said that he transferred about $16 million (£13 million) in unauthorised funds from Mr. Ohtani’s account between November 2021 and January 2024. “Mr Mizuhara did all this to feed his insatiable appetite for illegal sports gambling,” claimed Mr Estrada.

According to the charging complaint, Mr. Mizuhara, who served as Mr. Ohtani’s de facto manager, exploited the Japanese athlete’s limited command of English. He was reported to have called bank authorities and “falsely identified himself as [Mr] Ohtani to trick employees into authorising wire transfers from [Mr] Ohtani’s bank account to associates of the illegal gambling operation” . It is further stated that between January and March of 2024, Mr. Mizuhara used funds embezzled from Mr. Ohtani’s account to buy $325,000 worth of baseball cards.

On Thursday, Mr. Mizuhara’s defence attorney, who practices in Los Angeles, declined to comment on the allegations. During an interview with prosecutors last week, Mr. Ohtani refuted having given the interpreter access to his finances.

“[Mr] Ohtani provided his mobile to law enforcement, who determined that there was no evidence to suggest that [Mr] Ohtani was aware of, or involved in, [Mr] Mizuhara’s illegal gambling activity or payment of those debts,” according to the statement released by the prosecution. A sentence of thirty years in federal prison is imposed for the criminal charge. According to the New York Times, he and the prosecution are negotiating a plea agreement.

In 38 US states, sports betting is permitted; however, it is still prohibited in California. According to Major League Baseball policy, it is forbidden for “any player, umpire, Club or League official or employee” to wager on baseball games or make payments to unlicensed bookies. Reporters were informed by Mr. Estrada on Thursday that there is no proof Mr. Mizuhara ever wagered on baseball games. Before the current season, Ohtani became the face of the Dodgers by agreeing to a record 10-year, $700 million contract. It was his second consecutive unanimous MVP award in the American League.

Since the beginning of his stay in the US in 2018, Mr. Mizuhara has remained at his side. After weeks of conjecture, he and his spouse were spotted in an image that exposed Mamiko Tanaka, Mr. Ohtani’s spouse.

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