While Shohei Ohtani seems to be enjoying his offseason, his former translator, Ippei Mizuhara, is taunting his peace. More details have emerged to prove Mizuhara’s involvement in scamming the Dodgers star. Recently, a shocking audio recording of Mizuhara impersonating Ohtani while speaking to his bank was released.
The former interpreter attempted to acquire 200k using Ohtani’s name. Mizuhara stole millions from Ohtani over the years without his knowledge. However, he has his own reasons for the theft. A recent report revealed Mizuhara’s letter to the Judge, pleading for an 18-month sentence instead of 57.
Mizuhara blamed Matt Boyer (the bookmaker) and revealed the challenges of being Shohei Ohtani’s assistant. He also said that financial situations had led to making such a regrettable decision.
“I unfortunately met Matt Boyer I did not know he was an “illegal bookmaker” and stupidly thought this might be an opportunity to help myself out financially. I felt terribly guilty about putting my hands on Ohtani’s money, but it seemed like the only solution,” Mizuhara wrote.
The interpreter further outlined the challenging part of being Ohtani’s assistant.
“I had sacrificed not only my own life but my family’s life to put Shohei as my number one priority. I was the only person Shohei brought along, so naturally, I had to support him by driving him everywhere he needed to be, went on frequent grocery runs, ran random errands whenever he needed them, so I felt like I was on call 24/7. There were many times when I would be on the phone well past midnight and lose sleep,” Mizuhara’s letter read.
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Ippei Mizuhara Claims Staying Beside Shohei Ohtani Made Things Financially Worse
Ippei Mizuhara further outlined his financial situation with the Los Angeles Angels and the Dodgers. In 2023, he started out with $85,000 with the Angels and moved up to $250,000 with the Dodgers.
While he started to earn more with the Dodgers, he also mentioned that his expenses grew. Staying near Ohtani was another reason that led him into trouble.
“I had to live within a certain vicinity of Shohei to be close by to accommodate his daily needs, especially in his early years in the United States. This meant that I had to rent a place near him, which resulted in higher rent costs,” Mizuhara continued via Dodgers Nation.
The shocking audio release proved that Mizuhara attempted to steal more from Shohei Ohtani. Justifying his reasons will not erase his crime. Following the audio recording, Justin Verlander’s brother, Ben Verlander, asked people who previously called out Ohtnai to apologize. MLB fans lashed out at Ben for his post on X.
Also Read: Shocking Audio Reveals Shohei Ohtani’s Impersonation By Ippei Mizuhara In 200k Fraud Attempt
