In Los Angeles, a federal judge has ordered Ippei Mizuhara to undergo treatment for gambling addiction. Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, is accused of exploiting his personal and professional relationship with Ohtani to steal money from the player’s bank account over the years. He allegedly impersonated Ohtani to bankers to withdraw large sums of money to cover his gambling losses.
Mizuhara turned himself in before his initial court appearance and is facing a charge of bank fraud, which could result in up to 30 years in prison if convicted. Prosecutors have stated that there is no evidence of Ohtani being involved in or aware of Mizuhara’s gambling activities. Ohtani is said to be cooperating with investigators.
During his court appearance in downtown Los Angeles, Mizuhara did not enter a plea. The criminal complaint filed against him included evidence such as text messages, financial records, and recordings of phone calls that detailed the alleged scheme. Mizuhara reportedly won over $142 million from bets, while losing $183 million, resulting in a net loss of nearly $41 million.
After news of the federal investigation broke, Mizuhara admitted in a message to his bookmaker that he technically stole from Ohtani. Major League Baseball launched its own investigation and the Dodgers promptly terminated Mizuhara’s employment. The Associated Press holds the copyright for this material, and permission is required for any reproduction, broadcasting, rewriting, or redistribution.
