The former longtime interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is being charged with federal bank fraud for crimes involving gambling debts and theft of millions of dollars from the Japanese sensation, federal authorities said Thursday.
U.S. Attorney Marin Estrada announced the charges during a morning news conference, saying the complaint charges Ippei Mizuhara with bank fraud for allegedly stealing more than $16 million from Ohtani. Mizuhara agreed to surrender himself to federal law enforcement on Friday for his initial court appearance.
During their investigation, the Department of Justice found no evidence Ohtani was involved, saying the baseball star is considered a victim in the case.
"According to the complaint, Mr. Mizuhara stole this money, largely to finance his voracious appetite for illegal sports betting," Estrada said.
Mizuhara served as Ohtani's interpreter after the slugger came to the U.S. to play baseball. Estrada says Mizhuara "acted as Mr. Ohtani's de facto manager."
Estrada revealed that Mizuhara assisted Ohtani in creating a bank account in 2018 to deposit his baseball salary. However, Mizuhara denied access to Ohtani's other professional advisors, claiming Ohtani wanted to keep the account private. In 2021, Mizuhara started placing sports bets.
As time passed, Mizuhara's bets grew in frequency and amount, with thousands of wagers made that didn't seem related to baseball. Phone and bank records showed Mizuhara accessed Ohtani's account online and even impersonated Ohtani to the bank to gain access.
An investigation into Mizuhara began approximately three weeks ago when Ohtani's attorneys accused him of embezzling the baseball star's money to cover gambling debts. Mizuhara was promptly terminated by the team, and both the IRS and Major League Baseball launched their own investigations.
Ohtani placed the blame squarely on Mizuhara, who had given conflicting statements regarding whether Ohtani had settled his gambling debts.
Ohtani made a shocking revelation during a press conference at Dodger Stadium on March 25. The Japanese star, who recently signed a record-breaking $700 million contract with the Dodgers, accused his former interpreter, Mizuhara, of stealing money from his account and spreading false information.
According to Ohtani, Mizuhara had been involved in gambling activities without his knowledge. Initially, Mizuhara claimed that Ohtani had paid off his gambling debts related to international soccer, the NBA, the NFL, and college football. However, he later recanted his statement, stating that Ohtani was unaware of any gambling debts and had not transferred any money to bookmakers.
"I am very saddened and shocked that someone I trusted would betray me in this manner," Ohtani said through a new interpreter. "I have never engaged in sports betting or knowingly funded any gambling activities."
Ohtani revealed that he first learned of Mizuhara's gambling issues during a team meeting following a game in Seoul, South Korea. The incident has sparked an investigation by Major League Baseball, as league rules strictly prohibit players and team personnel from participating in any form of wagering, including on other sports through illegal or offshore bookmakers.
