The Department of Justice announced on Thursday that the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani faces federal charges over allegations he stole millions from MLB's highest-paid player in a gambling scheme.
During a press briefing, United States Attorney Martin Estrada said that Ippei Mizuhara had been charged with bank fraud for allegedly stealing over $16 million from Ohtani to finance his voracious appetite for illegal sports betting.
The DOJ claimed that Mizuhara had helped Ohtani, who did not speak or understand English, to open his bank account in Arizona in 2018 and that Mizuhara then "used that familiarity" to steal money from Ohtani to help pay for illegal sports bets.
According to the DOJ, he is accused of transferring over $16 million in unauthorized funds from Ohtani's checking account between November 2021 and January 2024.
The DOJ claimed he was charged with impersonating Ohtani when he called the bank to authorize wire transfers to the bookmakers.
On Thursday afternoon, federal prosecutors declared that Mizuhara is expected to turn himself in to federal authorities on Friday.
His first court appearance is scheduled for about 5 pm at the Downtown Los Angeles federal court. According to the officials, Mizuhara will not be required to enter a plea, and he would appear and likely be released on bond.
Estrada said that Ohtani is seen as a victim in this case and noted that Ohtani has assisted "fully and completely" with the investigation. He added that there is no proof that Ohtani authorized the bookmakers to pay more than $16 million from his account.
On March 20, the Dodgers announced that they had fired the Japanese interpreter following the revelation of the gambling controversy. The group did not give a detailed explanation for Mizuhara's termination.
Furthermore, MLB declared it was looking into the matter two days after the Dodgers fired Mizuhara.
