The former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is in talks to plead guilty in connection with Ohtani’s alleged theft of gambling funds, Tim Arango and Michael S. Schmidt of the New York Times report. talked. report Wednesday.
The Dodgers announced that Ippei Mizuhara was fired from his role as Ohtani’s interpreter last month due to claims by Ohtani’s agent that he stole funds from the Japanese star’s bank account to cover debts from illegal bookmakers. did. The amount is reportedly in the millions of dollars. Ohtani’s representatives reportedly immediately requested a legal investigation into the plan, and MLB launched its own investigation two days after Mizuhara’s firing.
According to the New York Times, Ohtani is being questioned by federal authorities as part of a legal investigation that began about three weeks ago. He broke his silence on the scandal on March 26, saying, “I have never bet on baseball or any other sport.”
The investigation is reportedly a joint effort led by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Division Los Angeles Division, the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. According to reports, Mizuhara’s attorney will be Michael Friedman. Friedman is a former federal prosecutor who regularly defends white-collar criminals.
Prosecutors have reportedly secured evidence proving Mizuhara may have stolen more money from Otani than the $4.5 million mentioned above, and Friedman’s expertise will be put to use. is. In addition, authorities reportedly discovered that Mizuhara was able to change the settings on Ohtani’s bank account to prevent him from receiving alerts about the transaction.
The allegations against Mizuhara surfaced while the Dodgers were in Seoul, South Korea, for the season-opening series against the San Diego Padres. According to reports, Mizuhara confronted law enforcement authorities upon his return to California, but was not arrested.
Mizuhara’s guilty plea may help clarify the confusing timeline, as the story regarding the theft incident in the Otani camp has changed twice. Time also appears to be of the essence for the former interpreter, who reportedly could sway to impose a milder penalty because a prompt guilty plea would ease the burden on federal prosecutors and judges. There is.
