Los Angeles Dodgers two-way phenom, Shohei Ohtani is facing a legal storm of allegations involving his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. While Ohtani hasn’t been directly implicated, serious accusations have emerged.
According to Ohtani’s legal representatives, Mizuhara is alleged to have stolen millions from the baseball star. Additionally, suspicions arose over wire transfers, totaling at least $4.5 million, from Ohtani’s account to an associate of an alleged illegal bookmaker.
The situation became murkier with conflicting narratives. Mizuhara initially admitted to gambling and owing money, then shifted his stance, suggesting Ohtani was aware of the transfers, a claim vehemently denied by Ohtani.
Mizuhara was dismissed by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday following allegations of “massive theft” made by Ohtani’s legal team.
Amid these, Major League Baseball has initiated an investigation. Concurrently, federal authorities are conducting a separate investigation into the alleged bookmaking operation.
Now, during a recent segment on his show, analyst Steven A. Smith weighed in on the controversy surrounding Shohei Ohtani’s alleged involvement in a gambling scandal. Smith said that the crux of the matter lies in determining whether Ohtani himself engaged in baseball gambling activities. He dismissed the role of Mizuhara’s involvement, stating bluntly, “We don’t give a damn about the interpreter.”
FYI, Ippei Mizuhara disclosed to ESPN that he first met Mathew Bowyer, the alleged bookmaker, during a poker game in San Diego back in 2021. Next, Mizuhara openly confessed to losing more than $1 million by the close of 2022 due to gambling addiction.
After reaching an agreement with Shohei Ohtani to settle his debts, Mizuhara stated that Ohtani assisted in transferring funds from his account to Bowyer’s associate, under Mizuhara’s supervision, with the transaction descriptions marked as “loan.” When questioned about why Ohtani didn’t directly provide the funds, Mizuhara clarified that Ohtani sought to prevent further gambling by directly sending the payments to Bowyer’s associate.
