A shocking audio recording reveals how Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter tried to steal $200,000 by pretending to be the baseball superstar on a phone call with the bank.
Federal prosecutors released the damning evidence as they push for a five-year prison sentence for Ippei Mizuhara, who’s already admitted to stealing millions from the Dodgers’ $700 million man.
In the recording, someone claiming to be Ohtani tells the bank he couldn’t log in online and needs to transfer $200,000.
It’s just one piece of an elaborate fraud that saw Mizuhara steal nearly $17 million from Ohtani to feed his illegal gambling habit.
The scandal rocked baseball when it broke last March, just as Ohtani and the Dodgers were starting their season in South Korea.
Mizuhara, 40, had complete access to Ohtani’s finances – including passwords and security codes. He used that trust to funnel money through casinos to pay off massive gambling debts to illegal bookmakers.
“It was a shocking breach of trust,” said one MLB insider who’s followed the case closely. “Ohtani treated him like family.”
The former interpreter pleaded guilty to bank fraud and tax charges in June 2023. He initially faced up to 33 years behind bars and fines of $1.25 million.
Prosecutors are now seeking a five-year sentence, arguing the recorded phone call shows just how brazenly Mizuhara abused his position.
Beyond the prison time, Mizuhara will have to pay back everything he stole from Ohtani and settle up with the IRS for unpaid taxes.
The case cast a shadow over what should have been a celebratory start to Ohtani’s Dodgers career. But the two-way superstar has managed to stay focused on baseball, putting up MVP-caliber numbers despite the off-field drama.
