A former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers sensation Shohei Ohtani was indicted Thursday on federal charges of bank fraud for allegedly stealing more than $16 million from one of Major League Baseball's biggest stars.
Ippei Mizuhara met Otani, who did not speak English, in 2013, helped him open a bank account shortly after arriving in the United States in 2018, and has since served as his de facto manager, the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California. Are active. Martin Estrada told reporters at an afternoon press conference.
Mizuhara, a 39-year-old Newport Beach, Calif., resident who had “an insatiable appetite for illegal sports betting,” accessed Otani's bank accounts online and hired Otani's agents, accountants and financial advisors to account. and locked him out, allowing Otani to commit “fraud.'' It’s massive,” Estrada said.
“I want to emphasize this point: Mr. Ohtani is considered a victim in this case. Evidence shows that Mr. Ohtani authorized the transfer of more than $16 million from his account to bookmakers. No,” he said.
Mr. Estrada added: Otani cooperated fully and completely with this investigation. Not only did he speak with investigators, he provided access to digital devices and personal information to ensure justice was served. ”
19,000 bets in 2 years
Estrada said Mizuhara, who did not bet on baseball, was “engaging in illegal gambling activities.”
According to an affidavit filed in the criminal complaint, Mizuhara fraudulently transferred more than $16 million from Otani's checking account between November 2021 and January 2024. Federal prosecutors said in a statement that the money was transferred from the bank account from a device and IP address associated with Mizuhara.
According to prosecutors, Mizuhara began gambling at an illegal sportsbook in September 2021 and began losing large sums of money a few months later.
According to the affidavit, Mizuhara is suspected of placing 19,000 bets between December 2021 and January 2024, ranging from $10 to $160,000 each.
Suwon's winning bets totaled more than $142,256,000, and his losing bets totaled approximately $182,935,000. His total losses totaled more than $40,679,000, according to his affidavit.
Gambling scandal details
During this time, the contact information on Otani's bank account was changed and the account was associated with Mizuhara's phone number and an anonymous email address associated with Mizuhara, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said the suspect also called banks and pretended to be Ohtani to trick employees into authorizing wire transfers from the accounts to people involved in illegal gambling operations.
Mizuhara's attorney and representatives for Ohtani and the Dodgers declined to comment Thursday.
Officials said at a press conference that Mizuhara is scheduled to appear in federal district court within the next few days. The maximum penalty if convicted of bank fraud is 30 years in prison.
Twelve others were charged or convicted as a result of the investigation.
The affidavit said the investigation targeted a person identified only as “Bookmaker 1,” who oversaw the illegal sportsbook that Mizuhara used to gamble.
According to the affidavit, members of Bookmaker 1's organization are cooperating with investigators and have provided evidence of Mizuhara's gambling history.
An investigation into illegal gambling resulted in non-prosecution agreements with 12 defendants, one money service provider, and two Las Vegas casinos, resulting in indictments or convictions. The affidavit states that the investigation is ongoing.
The Dodgers fired Mizuhara on March 21 after Ohtani's attorney alleged “grand theft” related to sports betting.
Major League Baseball launched an investigation, and Ohtani denied any involvement in sports betting in his first public comments on the matter on March 25, saying he had been betrayed and lied to.
Mizuhara was not only Ohtani's translator, but a close friend and constant presence next to the baseball star.
“I am extremely saddened and shocked that someone I trusted would do something like this,” Ohtani said at a news conference in Los Angeles last month.
“Ippei stole money from my account and lied to me,” Otani said in Japanese with the help of another interpreter.
The scandal came to light after reporting by the Los Angeles Times and ESPN.
The charges against Mizuhara specifically center on wire transfers from Otani's account to a Southern California bookbinding company currently under federal investigation, with at least nine payments of $500,000 totaling at least $4.5 million. said a person familiar with the exchange between Otani and Suwon. he told NBC News.
Attorney Ohtani of the law firm Burke Brettler said in a statement at the time the allegations came to light: The matter will be handed over to the authorities. ”
The 29-year-old Japanese came to the United States in 2018 to play for the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim before joining the Dodgers in December on a 10-year contract worth $700 million.
