Feds Charge Ippei Mizuhara For Stealing $16M From Shohei Ohtani, Share Details Of Interpreter's Betting Habits
Ippei Mizuhara, a former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, has been charged with bank fraud in a federal investigation into the interpreter's involvement with an illegal Southern California bookmaker and millions of dollars stolen from Ohtani's bank accounts.
On Wednesday, news arose regarding Mizuhara's intent on pleading guilty, weeks after a whirlwind of testimonies concerning the illegal betting activity and whether Ohtani was involved in the millions of dollars used for betting.
According to a press conference by the Department of Justice on Thursday, Ippei allegedly stole $16 million from Ohtani's bank accounts to feed an "insatiable" betting addiction.
Ohtani was named a victim of Ippei's fraudulent activity. Acting as Shohei Ohtani's interpreter and "de facto" manager, Ippei Mizuhara allegedly accessed Shohei's bank account without the baseball player's understanding and even impersonated Ohtani over the phone when speaking to the player's bank.
Shohei Ohtani is considered a victim of bank fraud. (Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 25: Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara of the Los Angeles Angels looks on against the New York Mets at Citi Field on August 25, 2023 in New York City. The Angels defeated the Mets 3-1. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
The $16 million figure was a major bump in the amount of alleged stolen funds, up from the initial $4.5 million Ippei was accused of stealing.
As relayed in the press conference, Mizuhara communicated with an illegal Southern California sports bookkeeper and acknowledged in text message exchanges that the interpreter had been pulling money from Ohtani's account without Shohei knowing.
Additionally, all earnings from Mizuhara's successful bets were transferred to his personal bank account rather than Ohtani's accounts. The total number of wire transfers used to conduct this operation was reportedly in the "thousands."
The feds also confidently relayed that Ohtani never placed bets on any sporting events; also, the illegal gambling activity never included betting on MLB games.
A New York Times report on Wednesday identified Ohtani as a victim of bank fraud, adding that his interpreter was in the process of pleading guilty to the charges brought forward by the federal investigation. Mizuhara faces one count of bank fraud, which can hold a maximum sentence of 30 years in jail.
Dec 14, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtan (left) speaks to interpreter Ippei Mizuhara at introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Further details revealed that Mizuhara shut off Ohtani's bank notifications to keep the 29-year-old baseball phenom in the dark about Ippei's illegal activity.
The wave of shocking allegations all came to light in late March as the Dodgers prepared to open up their seasons against the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea.
Mizuhara had an exclusive discussion with ESPN reporters the night before Ohtani's big debut in Dodgers blue. Initially, Mizuhara claimed that Ohtani had used $4.5 million of his personal funds to pay off a sizable gambling debt owed to the illegal bookkeeper.
Later on, Mizuhara retracted his testimony and outed himself of working along to steal money from Ohtani.
Shohei Ohtani addressed the scandal on March 25 and stated that he was oblivious to any betting activity conducted by his interpreter.
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