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A four-minute audio recording was released Thursday by federal prosecutors that shows Shohei Ohtani’s A former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, allegedly tried to go through a six-figure wire transfer from one of the Los Angeles Dodgers star’s accounts by impersonating him.
Mizuhara was convicted of misleading Ohtani, MVP of the National League And the world baseball superstar and the recording that Atlética obtained from the Department of Justice are key evidence.
It was mentioned in court, which is also prosecutors who recommended a nearly five-year sentence for Mizuhara and an order to reinstate Ohtani, according to The Athletic.
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Ippei Mizuhara pleaded guilty on June 4, 2024 to bank and tax fraud in a sports betting case and admitted to stealing nearly $17 million from Shohei Ohtani. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer, File)
Mizuhara, who is scheduled to be sentenced on February 6, pleaded guilty For fraud and filing a false tax return after stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani, with whom he was best friends, in June 2024.
The tape was obtained from the bank, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Mitchell told The Athletic, and supports prosecutors’ claims that Mizuhara would call the bank to arrange the wire transfers.
The prosecutors added that the recording was edited to redact the names of the banks and the name of the “unidentified co-accused”.
Former Shohei Ohtani interpreter pleads guilty to charges in sports betting case
In the clip, Mizuhara apparently says his name is Ohtani after the bank agent asks, “Who am I talking to?” Mizuhara bypassed the bank’s security measures and changed Ohtani’s account information to include his own email and phone number.
So when a bank agent asks Mizuhara to perform two-factor authentication using a six-digit code sent to a phone number, he can do it because it goes to his phone instead of Ohtani’s.
The video shows Mizuhara matching the numbers, which allows the agent to work on his request, a car loan for $200,000.
“Recently, we have come across a trend of scams and scams, so we have been carefully monitoring online transactions to make sure our customers are not victims either,” says the agent first. “What is the reason for this transaction?”
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara during a news conference at Dodger Stadium on Dec. 14, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The agent then asks “Ohtani” what his relationship is with the recipient, to which Mizuhara says, “He’s my friend.”
“Have you met your friend in person?” “The agent replies.
“Yes, many times,” Mizuhara replied.
Mizuhara said he stole from Ohtani to cover a “major gambling debt,” which he said in a brief statement after pleading guilty.
“I went ahead and revived the money … with his bank account,” Mizuhara said in a statement at the time.
Prosecutors have asked for restitution for Ohtani to be nearly $17 million, though it has been noted that Mizuhara is unable to repay the All-Star. The IRS is seeking another $1.1 million in restitution.
Japanese interpreter Ippei Mizuhara attends a press conference at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles on December 14, 2023. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
The former interpreter’s winning bets totaled more than $142 million, which he deposited into his bank account, not Ohtani’s. His losing bets were around $183 million. He didn’t bet on baseball.
There is also no indication of ohtani betting on baseball.
The Athletics reported in court filings that, between December 2021 and January 2024, Mizuhara placed about 19,000 bets over the Internet through Matthew Bowyer, his bookie, who also pleaded guilty to running an illegal gambling operation in August 2024. .
Mizuhara’s debt was up to $40.7 million.
“His years-long theft of funds from Mr. Ohtani and the countless lies he told to Mr. Ohtani’s agents and financial advisors to cover up his theft represent a calculated betrayal of the person he was hired to help,” Mitchell wrote in a court filing.
Ippei Mizuhara, former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, arrives in federal court in Los Angeles on June 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
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“In short, how I feel right now, I’m just shocked,” Ohtani said in a statement on the matter last year. “It’s really hard to verbalize how I feel right now.
“I am very saddened and shocked that someone I trusted did this.”
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