Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter posed as the Dodgers star to promote a 6-figure bank transfer, audio reveals

Federal prosecutors on Thursday revealed a four-minute audio recording showing Shohei Ohtani Former performer Ippei Mizuhara allegedly attempted to make a six-figure wire transfer from one of the Los Angeles Dodgers star’s accounts by posing as him.

Mizuhara has been convicted of defrauding Ohtani. the MVP of the National League and global baseball superstar, and the recording, obtained by The Athletic from the Department of Justice, is key evidence.

It was mentioned in a court filing, in which prosecutors also recommended a sentence of nearly five years for Mizuhara and an order to pay Ohtani, according to The Athletic.

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Mizuhara, whose sentencing is scheduled for February 6, pleaded guilty to bank fraud and filing a false tax return after stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani, with whom he was his best friend 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 remove the names of the banks and the name of an “unnamed co-conspirator.”

SHOHEI OHTANI’S FORMER PERFORMER PLED GUILTY TO CHARGES IN SPORTS BETTING CASE

In the recording, Mizuhara clearly says his name is Ohtani after the bank agent asks, “Who am I talking to?” Mizuhara bypassed the bank’s security measures and changed Ohtani’s account information to include his own email 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 it because it will go to his phone instead of Ohtani’s.

The recording shows Mizuhara matching the numbers, allowing the agent to work on his application, a $200,000 car loan.

“We have recently encountered a trend of fraud and scams, so we have been closely monitoring online transactions to ensure our customers do not fall victim to either,” the agent says first. “What is the reason for this transaction?”

The agent then asks “Ohtani” what his relationship is with the beneficiary, to which Mizuhara replies, “He’s my friend.”

“Have you met your friend in person?” the agent responds.

“Yes, many times,” Mizuhara replied.

Mizuhara said he stole from Ohtani to cover “a significant gambling debt,” which he said in a brief statement after pleading guilty.

“I went ahead and transferred money… to his bank account,” Mizuhara said in the statement at the time.

Prosecutors asked that the bet restitution amount be set at nearly $17 million for Ohtani, although it was noted that Mizuhara cannot repay that to the All-Star. The IRS is seeking another $1.1 million in restitution.

The former interpreter’s winning bets totaled more than $142 million, which he deposited in his own bank account and not in Ohtani’s. His losing bets were around $183 million. He didn’t bet on baseball.

There is also no indication that Ohtani has opted for baseball.

The Athletic reported that the court filing says that between December 2021 and January 2024, Mizuhara placed around 19,000 online bets through Matthew Bowyer, his bookmaker, who also pleaded guilty to running an illegal betting business. in August 2024.

Mizuhara’s debt amounted to $40.7 million.

“His years-long theft of funds 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 be,” Mitchell wrote in the judicial presentation.

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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 really hard to verbalize how I feel right now.

“I am very sad and surprised that someone I trusted did this.”

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