Reports from ESPN and the New York Times reveal that Ippei Mizuhara, the ex-translator of baseball star Shohei Ohtani, is set to confess to federal offences connected to purported pilfering of money from the Los Angeles Dodgers’ player. Last month, the Dodgers dismissed Mizuhara, following his admission to embezzling a minimum of $4.5m from Ohtani to settle his gambling debts.
The proposed plea bargain of Mizuhara would encompass an acknowledgement that verifies Ohtani’s account of the incident. According to Ohtani’s version, which, an informant confirms to ESPN is precise, he had never placed bets on sports, was unaware of Mizuhara’s betting habits and fell victim to substantial embezzlement by his former acquaintance. Notably, MLB forbids players from gambling on the sport, imposing a lifetime ban on any player found guilty of such misconduct. However, players are permitted to bet on other sports in the roughly 40 U.S. states where betting is legal, yet it remains illicit in California.
Mizuhara’s legal representative, Michael G Freedman, declined to give a comment to the Times and ESPN. The supposed theft became common knowledge after an alleged illegal betting agent exposed wire transfers from Ohtani’s bank account during a federal investigation. Initially, Mizuhara claimed Ohtani consented to cover his gambling dues, before retracting and asserting that Ohtani was ignorant of the payment made to the bookmaker in California.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the IRS and the Department of Homeland Security collaboratively scrutinised Mizuhara’s actions. According to the Times, following the Dodgers’ inaugural trip to South Korea, Mizuhara met with law enforcement but evaded detention and his current location is undisclosed. Moreover, the Times disclosed that Mizuhara altered settings on Ohtani’s bank account to prevent the player from receiving notifications of fund withdrawals.
During a team visit to South Korea, Mizuhara was shown the door by the Dodgers having initially informed the team that Ohtani had helped him clear his debts. According to The Times, Ohtani first heard about Mizuhara’s issue during a clubhouse meeting held in English. While Ohtani’s English isn’t fluent, he understood sufficient amount of the discussion to challenge Mizuhara later. Mizuhara then reportedly conceded to the theft to Ohtani.
Mizuhara has been Ohtani’s interpreter ever since the latter transitioned from Japan to play for the Los Angeles Angels in 2018. Not just professional associates, the two also shared a close personal bond. Ohtani, who signed a 10-year contract with the Dodgers for a whopping $700m in December, enjoys nationwide fame back at home.