Los Angeles Dodgers famous person Shohei Ohtani could have been swindled out of a “huge” sum of money by his interpreter, in accordance with a bombshell report revealed on Wednesday.
Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s interpreter, allegedly positioned bets with Orange County resident Mathew Bowyer, who’s beneath federal investigation, as reported within the Los Angeles Occasions.
Bowyer’s legal professional mentioned her shopper has not been charged with against the law and by no means interacted with the baseball star.
The quantity stolen is believed to be within the hundreds of thousands of {dollars}, the Occasions added.
ESPN later reported that the misappropriated quantity was not less than $4.5 million in wire transfers. These transfers have been despatched to an affiliate of Bowyer’s, ESPN famous.
West Hollywood legislation agency Berk Brettler mentioned in a press release that “in the middle of responding to current media inquiries, we found that Shohei has been the sufferer of an enormous theft and we’re turning the matter over to the authorities.”
ESPN detailed that the federal investigation surfaced Ohtani’s identify, and the participant had transferred funds to cowl Mizuhara’s debt — not less than, that was what Ohtani’s spokesman initially informed the Worldwide Chief in Sports activities.
“The spokesman introduced Mizuhara to ESPN for a 90-minute interview Tuesday night time, throughout which Mizuhara laid out his account in nice element,” wrote ESPN’s Tisha Thompson. “Nonetheless, as ESPN ready to publish the story Wednesday, the spokesman disavowed Mizuhara’s account and mentioned Ohtani’s attorneys would situation a press release.”
Mizuhara informed ESPN that Ohtani had “zero involvement in betting” and stipulated that the star by no means despatched cash to the bookie’s affiliate nor even knew that Mizuhara had a playing debt.
Mizuhara additionally avowed that he solely wager on the NBA, NFL, school soccer and worldwide soccer.
Betting on baseball in any approach is banned by the MLB, as is utilizing an unlawful bookmaker or offshore web site. Any sports activities bets positioned in California are unlawful, because the state has not legalized it.
Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday, the workforce informed the Occasions.
Previous to his firing, Mizuhara garnered consideration around the sports activities world for his shut relationship with Ohtani, who not too long ago signed with the Dodgers for $700 million and personally chosen Mizuhara to be his interpreter.
For that work, Mizuhara was paid between $300,000 and $500,000 yearly, ESPN studies.
Because the particular person answerable for dealing with communications for one of many greatest stars within the sport, the 2 have been nearly all the time collectively, as he informed the Athletic.
“I’m with him all offseason too … I’m with him three hundred and sixty five days of the 12 months,” mentioned Mizuhara, a graduate of Diamond Bar Excessive College.
Final 12 months, the MLB highlighted their relationship by referencing the first-name foundation on which the interpreter had turn out to be recognized to many followers.
“Among the best friendships in baseball, Shohei and Ippei,” the league mentioned on X, previously Twitter.
An announcement given to KTLA from a Dodgers spokesperson mentioned:
“The Dodgers are conscious of media studies and are gathering data. The workforce can verify that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara has been terminated. The workforce has no additional remark at the moment.”
Travis Schlepp contributed to this report.