Ex-interpreter tried to scam Shohei Ohtani, baseball’s highest paid star, of $2,00,000 impersonating him

In a bizarre incident, a former interpreter of baseball star Shohei Ohtani, who had signed a 10-year $700 million contract with Major League Baseball side Los Angeles Dodgers last year, has been convicted of defrauding the baseball star in an attempt to complete a $2,00,000 bank transfer impersonating Ohtani through one of the player’s bank accounts.
According to The Athletic, federal prosecutors came out with a four-minute long audio, which showed Ippei Mizuhara, a former interpreter of Ohtani, repeatedly calling the bank to arrange wire transfers. According to the news report, assant US Attorney Jeff Mitchell shared that the recording was obtained from the bank to back up the prosecution’s claims of the fraud committed Mizuhara as he routed Ohtani’s online account information to his own email and phone number. According to the new report, the prosecutors recommended a five-year sentence and restitution for Mizuhara with the interpreter pleading guilty to bank fraud and filing a false tax return after stealing more than 17 million dollars from the baseball star. The sentencing is scheduled to happen on February 6 with Mizuhara citing gambling addiction with debts of 40,7 million dollars asking the prosecutors for a shorter sentence of 18 months.
“Who am I speaking with?” a bank agent asks in the clip. “Shohei Ohtani,” Mizuhara answers. The agent goes through a two-factor authentication process, asking Mizuhara to recite a six-digit number relayed text message to the phone number linked to the account — a number that matches Mizuhara’s personal cell. The agent later asks for details about the transaction,” the report stated about the contents of the audio.
The report further stated that the interpreter relied on his parents for money and told the forensic psycholog about the issue.
“This has not been pleasant at all. My mother had to stop working at her job as a nurse because she works with many Asians. My wife and I have been followed and harassed, and we have to be careful about going out in public. I realize this is all because of what I did, and I accept this, but it has not been easy. I must admit, I never thought about the shame that would come to my family if I failed to win back the money and got caught.” Mizuhara was quoted as having told a forensic psycholog.
Ohtani had become the league’s most expensive buy when he signed up the record deal with the MLB side in September last year. Mitchell also shared that the interpreter also placed bets from the money. “Between December 2021 and January 2024, Mizuhara placed approximately 19,000 bets online through bookie Matthew Bowyer. His years-long theft of funds from Mr. Ohtani and the myriad lies he told to Mr. Ohtani’s agents and financial advisors to cover up his theft represent a calculated betrayal of the very person he was hired to help,” Mitchell wrote.
“I truly admire Shohei as a baseball player and a human being and I was committed to devote my life so Shohei can be the best version of himself on the field. “I want to say I am truly sorry for violating his trust in me.” Mizuhara said per the filing.