A former member of Shohei Ohtani's team has been accused of stealing millions from him.
The Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher's ex-interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was federally charged with bank fraud April 11 for allegedly robbing the athlete of $16 million, according to an affidavit obtained by E! News.
Mizuhara—who began working with Ohtani in 2013 to teach him English—gained access to his client's money when the MLB player, 29, moved to the U.S. from his native Japan in 2018. At the time, the interpreter helped him set up a bank account, ultimately becoming Ohtani's de facto manager, prosecutors alleged, per NBC News, during an April 11 news conference.
But the interpreter's "insatiable appetite" for illegal sports gambling soon got in the way, leading Mizuhara, 39, to shut out Ohtani's agent, financial advisor and accountant from the 29-year-old's online finances and wire over $16 million dollars in unauthorized funds from the player's account to his own bank between November 2021 and January 2024, per the affidavit.
Over the course of around three years, Mizuhara, the documents allege, used the money he stole to make over 19,000 sports gambling bets that ranged in value from $10 to $160,000. And in order to avoid suspicion when he transferred the funds, the 39-year-old linked Ohtani's bank accounts to his own phone number and email address, as well as identified himself as the baseball sensation when speaking to tellers on the phone, prosecutors said in the affidavit.
As for Ohtani? The pitcher—who signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December—remained unaware of his interpreter's alleged criminal activity.
"I want to emphasize this point, Mr. Ohtani is considered a victim in this case," U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Martin Estrada said in an April 11 press conference, per NBC News. "There is no evidence to indicate that Mr. Ohtani authorized the over $16 million of transfers from his account to the bookmakers."
Praising the athlete for cooperating "fully and completely in this investigation," Estrada added, "He's not only spoken to investigators, he's provided access to his digital devices, to his personal information, to ensure that justice was done."
Mizuhara is set to appear in federal district court sometime in the next few days, officials said during the news conference. If convicted for bank fraud, the interpreter faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.
Mizuhara's lawyer Michael Freedman had no comment when contacted by E! News. E! also reached out to Ohtani's agent and publicist for comment on the case but has not heard back.
(E! News and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)