Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter to appear in Federal Court for stealing $17,000,000 in tax fraud from Los Angeles Dodgers star

Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, is set to appear in federal court after he admitted to stealing from the Los Angeles Dodgers star. The prosecutors seek 4 years and 9 months in prison. They’re also seeking the stolen $17 million together with an additional $1.1 million to be paid to the IRS.

Mizuhara was once a trusted companion and the language bridge for Ohtani. He, however, exploited his position by stealing from the star and committing bank and tax fraud. He even gained unauthorized access to the athlete's bank account.
The revelation made by the court filings shows Mizuhara manipulated the security protocols. Impersonating Ohtani, he authorized wire transfers. The funds stolen by him were used for covering his extensive gambling losses, which amounted to approx. $183 million. He has reportedly spent hundreds of thousands on baseball cards and personal expenses.
Despite Mizuhara admitting to the crime, his legal team has requested a reduced sentence for him. Arguing and calling him to be a gambling addict who lost his reputation and career, they seek a sentence of 1 and a half years.
The case of Mizuhara has drawn the eyes of the world, given the status of Ohtani as a 3-time MVP and the World Series Champion. As per reports, the baseball star maintained that he was unaware of the ongoing theft. The stance has been backed by his prosecutors, claiming Ohtani to be a victim of this prolonged and elaborate scheme.

On January 24th, a 4-minute audio recording was disclosed by the federal prosecutors. It captured Mizuhara impersonating Ohtani, authorizing a six-figure wire transfer. The Athletic obtained a recording showing Mizuhara bypassing the bank security measures. He did so by changing Ohtani's account details to include his own phone number and email.
In the recording, Mizuhara identified himself as Ohtani. He successfully completed the two-factor authentication for pushing a $200,000 transaction. When questioned by the bank agent, he further claimed that the payee was his friend he met many times. It’s been argued by prosecutors that the recording is one key piece of evidence that demonstrates the calculated deception by Mizuhara.
The gambling activities of Mizuhara, which included placing approx. Nineteen thousand bets of around $183 million in losses and $142 million in winnings were conducted via the illegal bookmaker. As noted, Mizuhara didn’t bet on baseball games.

With Mizuhara approaching the sentence on February 6th, the case is constantly in the spotlight. It's showcasing the vulnerabilities of even the most high-profile athletes while pointing to the devastating betrayal consequences by the ones whom they trust the most.
Also Read: How baseball star Shoehi Ohtani's interpreter stole 17 million dollars