Federal prosecutors released a four-minute audio recording Thursday that shows Shohei Ohtanis former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, allegedly tried to push through a six-figure wire transfer from one of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ stars by posing as him.
Mizuhara has been convicted of defrauding Ohtani, the MVP of the National League and world baseball superstar, and the recording, obtained by The Athletic from the Department of Justice, is a key piece of evidence.
It was mentioned in a court filing, in which prosecutors also recommended a prison sentence of nearly five years for Mizuhara and an order to repay Ohtani, according to The Athletic.
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Ippei Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud in a sports betting case on June 4, 2024, admitting to stealing nearly $17 million from Shohei Ohtani. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer, File)
Mizuhara, who is expected to be sentenced on February 6, pleaded guilty of bank fraud and filing a false tax return after stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani, with whom he was best friends for years, in June 2024.
The recording was obtained from a bank, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Mitchell told The Athletic, and supports prosecutors’ claims that Mizuhara would call banks to arrange wire transfers.
Prosecutors added that the recording was edited to redact bank names and the name of an “unreported co-conspirator.”
FORMER SHOHEI OHTANI INTERPRETER DISCUSSES GUILTY ON SPORTS BETTING CHARGES
In the recording, Mizuhara clearly states that his name is Ohtani after the bank agent asks, “Who am I speaking to?” Mizuhara bypassed the bank’s security measures and changed Ohtani’s account information to include his own email address and phone number.
So when the bank agent asks Mizuhara to perform two-factor authentication using a six-digit code sent to a phone number, he can do so because it goes to his phone instead of Ohtani’s.
The recording shows Mizuhara matching the numbers, allowing the agent to work on his request, a $200,000 car loan.
“Recently, we have come across a trend of fraud and scams, so we have been closely monitoring online transactions to ensure our customers do not fall victim to them,” the agent first says. “What is the reason for this transaction?”
Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara of the Los Angeles Dodgers during a press conference at Dodger Stadium on December 14, 2023 in Los Angeles. (Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The agent then asks “Ohtani” what his relationship is with the beneficiary, to which Mizuhara says, “He’s my friend.”
“Have you met your friend in person?” the officer responds.
“Yes, often,” Mizuhara replied.
Mizuhara said he stole from Ohtani to cover “large gambling debts,” which he said in a brief statement after pleading guilty.
“I went ahead and transferred money through his bank account,” Mizuhara said in the statement at the time.
Prosecutors asked that the restitution amount for Ohtani be set at nearly $17 million, although it was noted that Mizuhara cannot repay that to the All-Star. The IRS is seeking another $1.1 million in refunds.
Japanese interpreter Ippei Mizuhara attends a press conference at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, December 14, 2023. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
The ex-interpreter’s winning bets totaled more than $142 million, which he deposited into his own bank account and not Ohtani’s. His losing bets amounted to approximately $183 million. He didn’t gamble on baseball.
There is also no evidence that Ohtani is betting on baseball.
The Athletic reported that between December 2021 and January 2024, Mizuhara placed approximately 19,000 bets online through Matthew Bowyer, his bookmaker who also pleaded guilty in August 2024 to running an illegal gambling business.
Mizuhara’s debt maxed out at $40.7 million.
“His years of stealing money from Mr. Ohtani and the countless lies he told to Mr. Ohtani’s agents and financial advisors to cover up his theft represent a calculated betrayal of the very person he was hired to help,” wrote Mitchell in the paper. court file.
Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, arrives at federal court in Los Angeles on June 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
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“To sum up how I feel right now, I am beyond shocked,” Ohtani said in a statement on the matter last year. ‘It’s very difficult to put into words how I feel at the moment.
“I am very saddened and shocked that someone I trusted did this.”
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