Baseball star’s interpreter ‘stole millions to cover gambling debts’

US authorities have charged the former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani with bank fraud, alleging that he stole more than $16 million (€14 million) from the Japanese player to cover gambling bets and debts.

Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, a constant presence beside Ohtani in baseball stadiums across the country since 2018, abused the Los Angeles Dodgers star’s trust and exploited the language barrier to plunder a bank account that only he could access, prosecutors said.

US attorney Martin Estrada said Mizuhara was so intertwined in Ohtani’s life and career that he became the star’s “de facto manager”.

The role enabled him to withdraw money from the account — at times lying and impersonating Ohtani to bank employees — to finance his “insatiable appetite for illegal sports betting”.

Thursday’s announcement, at a packed news conference in Los Angeles, ended weeks of speculation about Mizuhara’s admitted gambling problems, the wide-ranging federal investigation and Ohtani’s role in the scandal.

Ms Estrada said that there is no evidence that Ohtani was aware of his interpreter’s actions, adding that Ohtani has cooperated with investigators.

“I want to emphasise this point: Mr Ohtani is considered a victim in this case,” he said.

The criminal complaint — detailing the scheme through text messages, financial records and recordings of phone calls — showed even Mizuhara knew the game was over.

In a message to his illegal bookmaker on March 20th, the day the Los Angeles Times and ESPN broke the news of the investigation, he wrote: “Technically I did steal from him. it’s all over for me.”

Mizuhara faces up to 30 years in prison if he is convicted of a single count of bank fraud. Mizuhara’s first appearance in federal court