Sterling Preston|Shohei Ohtani's interpreter Ippei Mizuhara charged with stealing $16 million from MLB star

2025-05-04 13:20:28source:PredictIQ Quantitative Think Tank Centercategory:My

Federal authorities charged the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani with bank fraud for allegedly stealing more than $16 million from the two-time AL MVP's account.

During a press conference,Sterling Preston the government laid out its case against Ippei Mizuhara, saying he transferred millions of dollars to an alleged illegal sports book to pay off debts, using Othani's baseball salary to fund his scheme.

“The bets do not appear to have been made on the sport of baseball," U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said.

Estrada said Mizuhara's bets were made between 2021 and 2024. Mizuhara set up the account for Ohtani and didn't have access to Ohtani's financial advisors.

The $16 million in unauthorized transfers were from a checking account belonging to an MLB player identified in an affidavit as “Victim A,” which is Ohtani.

All things Dodgers: Latest Los Angeles Dodgers news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Mizuhara also used the same account to buy 1,000 baseball cards for $325,000 via eBay and Whatnot between January 2024 to March 2024 and mailed them to the Dodgers clubhouse under an alias.

Authorities say they interviewed Ohtani last week, and he denied knowing anything about the wire transfers after providing his cellphone to law enforcement. Officials said there was no evidence to suggest that Ohtani was involved or aware of Mizuhara's illegal activities.

The 39-year-old Mizuhara faces 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million if sentenced under federal guidelines.

More:My

Recommend

Everything Simone Biles did at the Paris Olympics was amplified. She thrived in the spotlight

Want more Olympics? Sign up for our daily Postcards from Paris newsletter. PARIS (AP) — Every sin

'The Reformatory' is a haunted tale of survival, horrors of humanity and hope

There are scarier things in this world than ghosts."The Reformatory" (Saga Press, 576 pp., ★★★★ out

Diplomatic efforts to pause fighting gain steam as Israeli ground troops push toward Gaza City

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel’s ground troops advanced toward Gaza City on Thursday, as the U.S. a