Shohei Ohtani had the best season of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year. Yet, his name was tarnished when a scandal broke out with his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. The baseball world is aware of Mizuhara stealing millions for Ohtani. After the trial, the rumors of Ohtani gambling were put to rest as Mizuhara was held accountable for his scam.
Ohtani and the Dodgers moved on from the betting scandal and won the World Series title. However, the topic seems to be coming back from time to time with more details. Recently, a shocking audio revealed that Mizuhara impersonated Ohtani in a 200k fraud attempt.
It turns out that Ohtani’s former interpreter was stealing more than ever. The audio begins with a bank employee asking, “Who am I speaking with?” Mizuhara identifies himself as Ohtani, saying he’s unable to log in to his bank account.
Here’s what Mizuhara said in the audio clip.
“Who am I speaking with?
“Shohei Ohtani”
“Thank you, how may I help you?”
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“So I tried to login to online banking and it told me that’s not available to me at this time,” Mizuhara continued.
Audio of Ippei Mizuhara impersonating Shohei Ohtani on a phone call to the bank has been made public. pic.twitter.com/oBg2DRdXWD
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 24, 2025
Shohei Ohtani’s Interpreter Is Due To Be Sentenced On February 6
Mizuhara was accused of stealing close to $17 million for the Dodgers star. Ohtani said he was unaware of his doings, and it surprised him when he heard of the stealing. Mizuhara pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on February 6.
Former U.S. Attorney Jeff Mitchell obtained the recording from the bank. Prosecutors are pushing for a minimum five-year sentence for Mizuhara. He is also expected to pay a penalty of $1 million. However, he spent most of his money gambling and purchasing baseball cards. Mizuhara gambled on NBA, NFL, College Football, and International Soccer.
As for Shohei Ohtani, he’s proved to be innocent and is now focusing on winning more championships. Ohtani broke records with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024, and he’s all set to start pitching for the upcoming season.
The Dodgers star is set to have another excellent season with the team. Meanwhile, MLB rumors are in full swing as top free agents such as Jurickson Profar are predicted to be on the move.
