Feds say Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter Ippei Mizuhara stole $16M

LOS ANGELES — The previous interpreter for Shohei Ohtani stole greater than $16 million over two years from the Los Angeles Dodgers famous person to repay playing money owed to an unlawful sportsbook, in keeping with an affidavit filed by federal authorities Thursday.

Federal authorities filed a criticism accusing Ippei Mizuhara, 39, of financial institution fraud, which may carry a most fantastic of as much as $1 million and/or as much as 30 years in jail, in keeping with federal sentencing pointers.

“I wish to emphasize this level: Mr. Ohtani is taken into account a sufferer on this case,” U.S. Lawyer Martin Estrada stated throughout a information convention in Los Angeles.

Estrada added that there was no proof Ohtani had any data of Mizuhara’s playing actions or use of his checking account to pay his money owed. He stated investigators combed by means of years of textual content messages between the 2 and located no dialogue of playing.

“Mr. Mizuhara used and abused that place of belief … as a way to plunder Mr. Ohtani’s checking account to the tune of over $16 million,” Estrada stated.

Mizuhara is anticipated to seem in U.S. District Court docket on Friday afternoon, throughout which an arraignment date will probably be set, in keeping with a spokesperson for the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace. Mizuhara will doubtless be launched on bond and isn’t anticipated to enter a plea throughout the listening to, the spokesperson stated. Mizuhara’s lawyer, Michael G. Freedman, declined to remark.

IRS particular agent Tyler Hatcher informed ESPN that the businesses have interviewed Mizuhara “at the very least twice.”

Ohtani, referred to within the criticism solely as a “skilled baseball participant,” informed authorities that he didn’t authorize the transfers.

A spokesperson for Ohtani declined to remark.

“Given the data disclosed at this time, and different data we’ve already collected, we’ll wait till decision of the legal continuing to find out whether or not additional investigation is warranted,” MLB stated in a press release.

In 2018, the 12 months Ohtani moved to america, Mizuhara helped him open a checking account the place his Angels wage was deposited, the criticism states. Ohtani stated he by no means gave Mizuhara management of his accounts, however Mizuhara allegedly informed Ohtani’s monetary advisers and accountants, none of whom spoke Japanese, that Ohtani had denied them entry to the account, in keeping with the affidavit.

Textual content messages confirmed that Mizuhara started playing with a bookmaker in September 2021 and started shedding “substantial sums of cash” later that 12 months. In all, the criticism states, Mizuhara averaged 25 bets per day, starting from $10 to $160,000 per wager, between December 2021 and this January — some 19,000 bets in all. Mizuhara’s betting information, in keeping with a spreadsheet obtained by authorities, mirrored whole winnings of $142 million and whole losses of $183 million throughout this span, “leaving a complete web stability of damaging $40,678,436.”

Whereas the bookmaker isn’t named within the criticism, his function and element match that of Mathew Bowyer. Financial institution information additionally present that the telephone quantity and e-mail deal with on Ohtani’s account had been modified to these related to Mizuhara in late 2021. Prosecutors stated that winnings had been deposited in Mizuhara’s account, not Ohtani’s.

Bowyer’s legal professional, Diane Bass, declined to remark. The Dodgers, who fired Mizuhara on March 20, additionally declined to remark.

In response to the affidavit, Mizuhara repeatedly texted the bookmaker asking for extra credit score. On Nov. 14, 2022, he wrote, “I am horrible at this sport betting factor huh? Lol . . . Any likelihood u can bump me once more?? As you realize, you do not have to fret about me not paying!!”

Investigators additionally relied on recorded telephone calls from the financial institution by which Mizuhara falsely recognized himself as Ohtani to “trick and deceive” financial institution workers into authorizing the transfers. The criticism outlined one particular switch on June 20, 2023, of $500,000 to an affiliate of a bookmaker.

Textual content messages from the submitting present that round November 2023, the connection between Mizuhara and the bookmaker modified. On Nov. 17, the bookmaker texted: “I do not know why you are not returning my calls. I am right here in Newport Seashore and I see [Ohtani] strolling his canine. I am simply gonna go up and discuss to him and ask how I can get in contact with you since you are not responding? Please name me again instantly.”

There is not any indication within the criticism that anybody related with the bookmaker ever made contact with Ohtani. Bass has stated Bowyer had no contact with Ohtani.

On March 20, 2024, after information broke that at the very least $4.5 million had been transmitted from Ohtani’s account to Bowyer’s operation, Mizuhara texted the bookmaker asking whether or not he had seen the media stories. The bookmaker replied, “Sure, however that is all bulls—. Clearly you did not steal from him. I perceive it is a cowl job I completely get it.”

Mizuhara replied, “Technically I did steal from him. It is throughout for me.”

Authorities stated Mizuhara by no means wager on baseball, which Mizuhara beforehand had informed ESPN.

When requested why the investigation, which began three weeks in the past, occurred so shortly, Estrada stated: “We understood there was important quantity of public curiosity on this case.”

Within the first of a pair of interviews with ESPN, Mizuhara stated that he had amassed enormous playing money owed and that Ohtani helped him out by wiring the cash in $500,000 increments final 12 months. However hours later, Mizuhara modified the account and stated Ohtani had no data of the funds.

Concurrently, attorneys for Ohtani alleged that he had been the sufferer of a “huge theft.”

Authorities stated they didn’t imagine Ohtani had wired the cash, as Mizuhara claimed in his first interview with ESPN. They stated Ohtani first realized that Mizuhara had accessed his accounts throughout a staff assembly after the Dodgers’ season opener in Seoul, South Korea, throughout which Mizuhara addressed the staff and stated he had a playing dependancy. Ohtani beforehand gave the media an analogous account throughout a information convention on March 25, 5 days after his attorneys made the allegation of theft.

Ohtani turned his telephone over to investigators on March 25 and spoke to prosecutors by means of a court-certified Japanese interpreter on April 2 and three, at one level telling them he believed his agent and monetary advisors had been monitoring the account in query, in keeping with the criticism. Federal prosecutors additionally interviewed Ohtani’s agent at CAA, Nez Balelo, in addition to a bookkeeper, monetary advisor and accountant related to Ohtani, none of whom had been named within the criticism. The 4 informed prosecutors they requested for entry to the account in query however had been informed by Mizuhara that Ohtani most well-liked to maintain it personal.

The affidavit additional particulars the businesses’ work on the bigger investigation of unlawful sports activities bookmaking organizations in Southern California and cash laundering by means of casinos in Las Vegas. That investigation has to date led to legal fees or convictions in opposition to 12 folks, together with former minor league baseball participant Wayne Nix. Nix was additionally a Southern California bookmaker, and his shoppers included NBA legend Scottie Pippen, former MLB All-Star Yasiel Puig, and Maverick Carter, the longtime supervisor and buddy of LeBron James.

The submitting additionally outlines the businesses’ investigation of Bowyer, whose telephone and residence had been searched in October 2023. In a bunch textual content, a on line casino worker launched Bowyer to a possible bettor, saying that Bowyer “takes massive motion and may give you no matter u want.”

Till he was fired, Mizuhara had interpreted for Ohtani since 2018, accompanying the two-way participant in dugouts, locker rooms and participant lounges, on journeys, in media settings and elsewhere, making Mizuhara extremely recognizable to baseball followers. The 2 had been hardly ever separated. The submitting describes Mizuhara as Ohtani’s “de facto supervisor.”

ESPN’s Tisha Thompson and T.J. Quinn contributed to this report.