Former Ohtani Confidant Admits to Stealing $17M for Gambling Debts

Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter and close confidant of Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, has admitted to stealing approximately $17 million from the baseball player’s personal bank account without his knowledge and consent. Mizuhara, who also served as Ohtani’s translator, has agreed to plead guilty to one count each of bank fraud and filing a false tax return, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Federal authorities revealed that Mizuhara used the stolen funds to settle his own substantial gambling debts. In light of these revelations, Ohtani, who is widely considered to be one of the best players in Major League Baseball today, issued a public statement stating that he had never engaged in sports betting himself and that he had no awareness of Mizuhara’s wrongdoings until recently. Ohtani expressed deep shock and sadness over the situation, describing Mizuhara as someone he had previously trusted implicitly. Mizuhara’s sentencing date has not yet been determined.