Ex-Interpreter for Baseball Star Ohtani Stole $17M to Pay Off Gambling Debts

^{Pictured: Shohei Ohtani (right) and Ippei Mizuhara (left)}

Ippei Mizuhara, who once served as the interpreter for Shohei Ohtani, a Japanese baseball sensation with the Los Angeles Dodgers, has confessed to charges of bank fraud and filing a false tax return. Authorities uncovered that Mizuhara had embezzled nearly $17 million from Ohtani to pay off his debts to illicit bookmakers.

Back in 2018, Mizuhara assisted Ohtani, who is not fluent in English, in opening a bank account. Over time, Mizuhara accessed this account to settle his debts.

Court documents reveal that Mizuhara, unable to clear his gambling debts, devised a scheme to defraud the bank and illicitly obtain money from Ohtani’s account.

He manipulated the bank contact information so that he, not Ohtani, would be contacted for account transactions.

In his admission, Mizuhara disclosed that he had impersonated Ohtani at least 24 times during phone conversations with bank employees.

Furthermore, he used Ohtani’s account to cover personal expenses, including $60,000 for dental procedures and $325,000 on baseball cards. In total, Mizuhara admitted to fraudulently obtaining over $16.9 million from Ohtani.

Mizuhara, now 39, could face up to 33 years in prison. U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada commented on the case, stating, “The extent of this defendant’s deception and theft is massive. He took advantage of his position of trust to exploit Mr. Ohtani and fuel a dangerous gambling habit.”

In 2023, Ohtani, who is renowned for his dual role as a pitcher and a batter, signed a lucrative 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, valued at $700 million, or $70 million per season.