Feds accuse Ohtani’s interpreter of stealing $16 million
Federal prosecutors allege that Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter siphoned more than $16 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers star’s bank account to pay off gambling debts to an illegal sportsbook.
According to an affidavit filed by federal authorities on Thursday, Ippei Mizuhara faces a charge of bank fraud that carries a maximum penalty of up to 30 years in prison and/or a $1 million fine.
The funds were allegedly stolen over a two-year period from an account where Ohtani received his baseball salary, and without Ohtani’s knowledge.
“There’s no indication Mr. Ohtani authorized the $16 million from his account to the bookmakers,” said E. Martin Estrada, the U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, per The New York Times.
“Mr. Mizuhara committed fraud on a massive scale,” Estrada said.
Mizuhara, 39, was initially accused of stealing $4.5 million when he was fired last month by the Dodgers. He had been working with Ohtani since the Japanese two-way star debuted with the Los Angeles Angels in 2017.
From December 2021 through January 2024, authorities allege Mizuhara placed about 19,000 bets with an average wager of $12,800 and total net losses of nearly $40.7 million.
Records seized during the investigation “do not reflect any bets on baseball games.”
The New York Times reported Wednesday that Mizuhara’s attorney Michael Freedman is negotiating a plea deal with prosecutors.
The Times said Mizuhara is expected to enter a plea of not guilty when he is arraigned in federal court in Los Angeles, which could happen as early as Friday.
Ohtani, 29, signed a record-setting 10-year, $700 million with the Dodgers in December after batting .304 with an American Leagueleading 44 homers and 95 RBI in 2023, when he earned his second unanimous AL MVP.
THURSDAY'S MLB GAMES
Mets 16, Braves 4: Tyrone Taylor hit a grand slam and Jeff McNeil drove in three runs as New York clobbered Atlanta. Taylor’s pinch-hit slam in the ninth inning capped the highestscoring effort of the young season for the Mets, who took two of three games in the series.
Royals 13, Astros 3:
Bobby Witt Jr. homered twice, leading Kansas City over visiting Houston to complete a three-game sweep. The Royals sent 15 batters to the plate in the first inning — scoring nine — capped by Witt’s opposite-field, two-run homer. Kansas City totaled 16 hits in winning its seventh consecutive game.
Athletics 1, Rangers 0: Left-hander JP Sears took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Seth Brown
homered and doubled as visiting Oakland defeated host Texas in the rubber game of their three-game series. Sears (1-1) was making just the 46th start of his major league career. He walked three, struck out five and gave up just one hit en route to his 12th career win. Sears threw 88 pitches, 56 for strikes.
Twins at Tigers, ppd.:
Rain and chilly weather pushed the opener of a four-game series in Detroit between the Tigers and defending American League Central champion Minnesota back one day. There is more rain in the forecast on
Friday, which could further dent plans for Detroit kickstarting an eight-game homestand that includes four games with the Texas Rangers. Thursday’s game was pushed to Saturday as part of a straight doubleheader.
Brewers at Reds, ppd.: Rain in Cincinnati forced the postponement of the series finale between the Reds and Milwaukee. The contest will be made up as part of a split doubleheader on Aug. 30.
ETC.
College basketball: Iowa will retire the No. 22 jersey of Caitlin Clark, college basketball’s all-time leading scorer in Division I. The school made the announcement Wednesday at a celebration of Iowa’s trip to the national championship game of the NCAA Tournament, won by South Carolina 87-75, and the record-setting achievements of Clark. No date was announced for the retirement ceremony . ... Baylor basketball coach Scott Drew passed on the job at Kentucky, choosing to stay in Waco, multiple outlets reported. Drew was also pursued by Louisville last month and said family considerations, with his three children having grown up in Waco, Texas, and loyalty drove his desire to remain head coach of the Bears . ... Houston consensus AllAmerican point guard Jamal Shead is entering the 2024 NBA Draft. The National Defensive Player of the Year guided the Cougars to the Sweet 16 in what turned out to be his final college season. Houston had a 120-18 record when Shead played.
NFL: Browns general manager Andrew Berry insisted he would find a way to keep running back
Nick Chubb in Cleveland. According to multiple reports, the Browns and Chubb agreed to a restructured deal to take his scheduled base salary of $15.85 million down to $11.775 million with the ability to recoup the difference in performance incentives.
Tennis: No. 15 seed
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fifth seed also bowed out Thursday, as No. 12 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece edged Germany’s Alexander Zverev 7-5, 7-6 (7-3). No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic dispatched Italian
Lorenzo Musetti 7-5, 6-3, avenging an upset loss to Musetti in the same round of Monte Carlo last year. The Serbian broke Musetti five times in six opportunities.