Numerous payments of $500,000 were allegedly sent from the bank account of Dodgers baseball star Shohei Ohtani by Ipperi Mizuhara, who’s currently in the middle of a federal probe after being accused of stealing over $16 million from his long-term friend. This act of betrayal has left Ohtani, a victim in this case, feeling deeply hurt and deceived. ESPN reported the fraudulent payments were first transferred to casinos in Las Vegas and California before being deposited into gambling accounts, converted to playing chips, and later cashed out to pay extensive debts he had with an illegal bookmaking operation. Mizuhara, who had worked as an Ohtani’s interpreter for several years, used the money to place bets with Matthew Bowyer, an illegal Californian bookmaker and frequent visitor to Resorts World, a Las Vegas casino. According to ESPN’s sources, Mizuhara paid Bowyer’s associate, who was then tasked with forwarding the money to “marker” accounts at Resorts World and Pechanga Resort Casino in Southern California. Reports allege Bower lost nearly $8 million during a gambling spree at Resorts World that lasted from June 2022 to October 2023. However, Bowyer’s house was raided last October by federal agents during an investigation that aimed to prove he was part of a sports bookmaking network, which is illegal in the state of California. Bowyer was later banned from entering all casinos throughout the US. Mizuhara’s illicit activity came to light during the federal investigation into Bowyer. Federal investigators believe Mizuhara was able to steal the money from Ohtani’s bank account by impersonating him on the phone during calls with the bank. A message sent from Mizuhara’s phone to Bowyer back in late March after news of the scandal began circulating online read, “Technically, I did steal from him,” it continued, “It’s all over for me.”
Mizuhara and Ohtani officially met over a decade ago when Ohtani was in his late teens and playing for the Nippon Ham Fighter in Japan. At the time, Mizuhara worked as an interpreter for the team’s English-speaking players. The pair became closer over the years. However, between December 2021 and January 2024, it is thought to have placed nearly 20,000 wagers, which works out to 25 per day. Much of this was funded by the money stolen from Ohtani’s account, and Mizuhara’s total net loss allegedly exceeded $40 million per the criminal complaint. If convicted of bank fraud, Mizuhara could face a staggering 30 years in prison, a punishment that reflects the severity of his actions. Ohtani recently signed a record-setting 10-year deal with the Dodgers this past offseason worth around $700 million. The star had previously spent the past six years of his MLB career playing for the Los Angeles Angels further south in the city. According to CBS Sports, Ohtani is currently hitting .341/.406/.635 this season. However, he is currently unable to pitch due to an elbow injury sustained up back in September.
