The former translator for Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani is now facing federal bank charges. The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Thursday, April 11, that Ippei Mizuhara is accused of stealing more than $16 million from Ohtani’s bank account.
According to The New York Times, Mizuhara is currently working on a deal to plead guilty to the charges.
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During the press conference, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said Mizuhara had helped Ohtani set up a bank account and then turned off alerts about transactions.
Mizuhara reportedly acted as Ohtani’s “de facto manager,” abusing the trust placed in him, according to Estrada.
“Mr. Mizuhara did all of this to feed his insatiable appetite for illegal sports betting,” Estrada said.
Prosecutors said Mizuhara eventually admitted to the crime after claiming Ohtani had given him the money to pay off bets. Ohtani denied ever betting on sports and is not implicated in any of the charges.
Ohtani told the media he had no knowledge of Mizuhara’s alleged actions until the Dodgers’ season opener in Seoul, South Korea.
“I’m very sad and shocked that someone who I’ve trusted has done this,” Ohtani said.
Estrada said that if Mizuhara is convicted of the charges, he faces up to 30 years in prison.
In December, Ohtani became the highest-paid baseball player in history after signing a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
