Federal authorities allege Ippei Mizuhara, the former longtime interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, stole more than $16 million from the two-way baseball sensation to cover his gambling debts.
Federal authorities allege Ippei Mizuhara, the former longtime interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, stole more than $16 million from the two-way baseball sensation to cover his gambling debts.
The charges were outlined in a complaint filed with the United States District Court for the Central District of California on Thursday. The complaint, written by IRS senior special agent Chris Seymour, cites wire transfers, text messages, phone records and interviews in alleging that Mizuhara exploited his position of trust with Ohtani to fund his frequent and illegal sports betting.
Here are some notable allegations from the complaint:
Mizuhara accompanied Ohtani to a bank in Arizona “in or about 2018” and helped him open an account where his baseball salary was deposited. Investigators believe Ohtani‘s earnings from endorsement deals and investments went to a different account.
Seymour writes that the first unauthorized transfer from the account appears on Nov. 15, 2021 “for $40,010 to Xoom.com, a PayPal service.” He says that debit transaction aligns with the timing of text messages between Mizuhara and a bookmaker discussing that amount.
