Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, surrendered himself to federal authorities Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice told the Daily Caller. Authorities accuse Mizuhara of stealing millions of dollars from the star athlete to pay off his massive illegal gambling debts.
The Department of Justice filed a federal complaint against Mizuhara, charging him with bank fraud for allegedly stealing nearly $16 million from Ohtani between 2021 and 2024.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, who signed Ohtani to a $700 million deal prior to the 2024 MLB season, fired Mizuhara in March when the allegations were first reported. (RELATED: Ohtani Bangs First Home Run On New Team … His Now-Fired Translator Might Be Very Happy)
Mizuhara wired over $15 million from Ohtani’s account to his bookmakers over the course of a three-year period, according to the criminal complaint. He allegedly lied to Ohtani’s bank, misrepresenting himself as Ohtani to gain access to his accounts. Ohtani told investigators he had never authorized Mizuhara to have access to his account, according to the complaint.
Ohtani allegedly first became aware of the stolen funds after ESPN broke the story while he and Mizuhara were in Korea for the MLB’s opening series against the San Diego Padres, according to ESPN.
Mizuhara placed approximately 19,000 bets between December 2021 and January 2024 for an average of 25,000, the complaint alleges. His alleged bets ranged from $10 to $160,000 with an average of $12,800, according to the complaint.
Mizuhara will appear in federal court around 4:00 p.m. in downtown Los Angeles, the DOJ told the Daily Caller. He is likely to be released on bond, the outlet reported.
Bank fraud carries a max sentence of 30 years in prison.