The ex-interpreter of Shohei Ohtani faces federal charges for stealing $16M

A Los Angeles US attorney revealed Thursday that former Shohei Ohtani interpreter Ippei Mizuhara faces a federal bank fraud allegation for allegedly taking more than $16 million.

US Attorney Martin Estrada stated Mizuhara unauthorized transferred from Ohtani's bank account from November 2021 to January 2024.

Mizuhara used his tight friendship with Ohtani, whom he accompanied constantly owing to the Japanese star's limited English, “largely to finance his voracious appetite for illegal sports betting,” Estrada said.

Ohtani denied sports betting and said he had been misled and lied to in his first public comments on March 25. Major League Baseball is investigating.

At the time of the allegations, Ohtani's attorneys at Berk Brettler LLP said, “In the course of responding to recent media inquiries, we discovered that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft and we are turning the matter over to the authorities.”

According to a news release from the US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, Mizuhara will surrender on Friday. He is scheduled to appear in Los Angeles federal district court that afternoon, spokesperson Thom Mrozek said.

“We expect that the court will order Mr. Mizuhara released on bond. He will NOT be asked to enter a plea to the bank fraud charge during Friday’s hearing,” Mrozek said in the release.