A US attorney announced on Thursday that Ippei Mizuhara, once the trusted interpreter for baseball sensation Shohei Ohtani, now faces a federal charge of bank fraud after allegedly embezzling over $16 million.
The alleged fraudulent activities spanned from November 2021 to January 2024, during which Mizuhara reportedly executed unauthorized transfers from Ohtani’s bank account, exploiting his close relationship with the star athlete, whom he accompanied extensively due to Ohtani’s limited proficiency in English.
Here's the complaint against Mizuhara. It's 37 pages.https://t.co/ZiewNKezAT
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) April 11, 2024
Mizuhara primarily utilized the stolen funds to fuel his penchant for illegal sports betting. Despite Mizuhara’s association with Ohtani, the Japanese baseball phenom remains a victim in this intricate scheme, emphasized the prosecutor.
The investigation, which involved scrutiny of Ohtani’s cellphone records, confirmed that Ohtani had no involvement or awareness of Mizuhara’s illicit gambling activities or the utilization of Ohtani’s finances to settle gambling debts.
Mizuhara has consented to surrender to federal authorities on Friday, with an appearance slated in the federal district court in Los Angeles. However, he will not be required to enter a plea for the bank fraud charge during the initial hearing, as per spokesman Thom Mrozek of the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
The prosecution outlined how Mizuhara, entrusted with assisting Ohtani in establishing a bank account upon his relocation to the US in 2018, deliberately withheld access to Ohtani’s other professional advisors.
Phone and bank records corroborate Mizuhara’s unauthorized online access to Ohtani’s account, which he exploited to engage in sports betting activities starting in 2021.
The illegal bets did not involve baseball games directly but encompassed a wide array of sports. Mizuhara allegedly escalated his gambling endeavors over time, with increasing frequency and substantial monetary stakes.
The elaborate scheme involved Mizuhara impersonating Ohtani in interactions with banks to facilitate large wire transfers to bookmakers, further underscoring the gravity of the fraud committed.
Recordings of phone conversations obtained by authorities purportedly capture Mizuhara deceiving bank personnel by assuming Ohtani’s identity and furnishing personal details to facilitate illicit transactions.
News of the allegations surfaced during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ pre-season series in South Korea, prompting swift action from Ohtani’s legal team and his subsequent termination from the Dodgers organization.
In response to the developments, Major League Baseball issued a statement acknowledging the charges filed against Mizuhara and indicated a willingness to await the resolution of the criminal proceedings before determining the necessity of further investigation.
Mizuhara, dismissed from his position last month amid, faces the imminent prospect of a federal trial and a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
