Shohei Ohtani's ex-interpreter expected to plead guilty in fraud case: report
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Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, is reportedly expected to plead guilty to fraud after allegedly stealing money from the MLB star to pay off gambling debts.
Ohtani has said he had no knowledge of Mizuhara's supposed gambling addiction nor that he had $4.5 million stolen.
Authorities believe they have evidence that Mizuhara actually shut off notifications on Ohtani's bank account in which he would not know money was being taken out, the New York Times reported.
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Shohei Ohtani, left, and Ippei Mizuhara are shown during a press conference at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Dec. 14, 2023. (Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Amid differing stories Mizuhara told, there has been speculation that it was actually Ohtani gambling and that Mizuhara was taking the hit – two wire transfers totaling $1 million were sent in Ohtani's name to a bookie.
But Ohtani said he has "never bet on baseball or any other sports, or never have asked somebody to do that on my behalf."
"I’m very saddened and shocked that someone who I trusted has done this," Ohtani said just prior to Opening Day.
Ohtani said he didn't find out about Mizuhara's debt and what he was doing with his accounts "up until a couple days ago" while the team was in South Korea for the recent Seoul Series against the San Diego Padres.
Ippei Mizuhara (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images/File)
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Ohtani's attorneys told the Los Angeles Times that Mizuhara was stealing "millions" from the two-way star to gamble through