Federal authorities allege Ippei Mizuhara, the former longtime interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, stole more than $16 million from the two-way baseball sensation to cover his gambling debts.
The charges were outlined in a complaint filed with the United States District Court for the Central District of California on Thursday. The complaint, written by IRS senior special agent Chris Seymour, cites wire transfers, text messages, phone records and interviews in alleging thatto a bank in Arizona “in or about 2018” and helped him open an account where his baseball salary was deposited.
Investigators also cite a spreadsheet provided by a source in Bookmaker 1’s organization that showed roughly 19,000 wagers between December 2021 and January 2024 for‘s account - nearly 25 bets per day on average. The wagers ranged from roughly $10 to $160,000 per bet, averaging around $12,800.‘s winning bets totaled over $142 million, but his losing bets were around $183 million - a net loss of nearly $41 million.
“Hey Ippie, it’s 2 o’clock on Friday,” the message said. “I don’t know why you’re not returning my calls. I’m here in Newport Beach and I see walking his dog. I’m just gonna go up and talk to him and ask how I can get in touch with you since you’re not responding? Please call me back immediately.” The alleged fraud also spanned the lucrative memorabilia market. Investigators seized roughly 1,000 collectible baseball cards, including for such players as Yogi Berra, Juan Soto and evenThe final entry in the Statement of Probably Cause includes a text exchange between Mizuhara and Bookmaker 1 on March 20, 2024 - the day
“Yes, but that’s all ,” Bookmaker 1 responded. “Obviously you didn’t steal from him. I understand it’s a cover job I totally get it.”
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Feds say Shohei Ohtani's ex-interpreter Ippei Mizuhara stole $16 millionDepartment of Justice officials announced criminal charges against Ippei Mizuhara, who formerly served as an interpreter for Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani.
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