Ippei Mizuhara stole a ton of money from Shohei Ohtani, but it was substantially more than what had been reported previously.
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has been going through a media nightmare since it was reported that his former translator, Ippei Mizuhara, placed over 4.5 million in sports bets.
Using a search warrant in hand, the authorities invaded the San Juan Capistrano house of 48-year-old Mathew Bowyer, seizing laptops, smartphones, and any other electronic device that might have a memory for analysis as they carried out their investigation.
On Thursday, federal investigators revealed that Shoehei Ohtan’s former interpreter had been charged with bank fraud for allegedly stealing more than $16 million from Ohtani to “finance his voracious appetite for illegal sports betting,” United States Attorney Martin Estrada said during a press briefing.
Among the evidence found were text messages Ippei Mizuhara sent to bookmaker one admitting that he had stolen money from Shohei Ohtani, who is described as “Victm A.”
The most notable text message was when the news broke on the scandal, and Ippei Mizuhara stated it was all over for him as he told the bookmaker he had stolen funds.
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Many fans quickly took to social media and pondered how Shohei Ohtani’s accountant was unable to notice such a large amount of money being taken from his client’s account without noticing it.
Also Read: Social Media Uncovers Evidence Exposing Shohei Ohtani For Throwing Games As Part Of Betting Scandal
Mizuhara, who had an “insatiable appetite for illegal sports gambling,” accessed Ohtani’s bank account online, and shut out Ohtani’s agent, accountant, and financial adviser from the account, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Martin Estrada said during an afternoon news conference, via CNN.com.
Shohei Ohtani Appears to Be Cleared of Any Wrongdoing In Gambling Scandal
Shohei Ohtani can breathe a sigh of relief now that his former interpreter was federally charged with bank fraud on Thursday, accused of stealing more than $16 million from the athlete authorities called a “victim.”
The maximum penalty for being convicted of bank fraud is 30 years in prison.
Ohtani can now get back to focusing on playing baseball during his first season with the Dodgers.
