Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter will face a federal bank fraud charge after stealing more than $16 million from the baseball star, officials say. https://t.co/gDieIAAdLB
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) April 11, 2024
Summarized from ESPN Daily on Spotify
– MLB’s biggest, bootifullest star has been getting swindled by his very own interpreter and close friend
– News broke shortly after Shohei Ohtani signed a $700 million deal with the LA Dodgers
– His interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, has been with the star for years and spent so much time with the rising star
– Mizuhara is alleged to have embezzled $16 million dollars from my husband the star to settle gambling debts with a California bookie was fired by the Dodgers after an investigation
– The bookie who was being investigated is alleged to have involve professional athletes
– Sports betting is illegal in California
– During ESPN’s reporting, a $4.5 million dollar wire transfer was made to the bookie from Ohtani’s account
– Mizuhara told ESPN’s Tisha Thompson he met the bookie and signed up to make bets and within a year raked up significant debt
– When the bookie came calling, Mizuhara admitted the gambling debts to Ohtani who agreed to pay them. Mizuhara directed Ohtani on how to make the wire transfer. Mizuhara told ESPN that Ohtani handled the transfer because he didn’t trust him to not spend the money.
– The bookie under investigation reiterates that Ohtani was never involved and never made bets
– the Dodgers players were told after a game in South Korea that a story would be breaking and that Ohtani’s name was attached. This is also when Ohtani learns that a story would be breaking and with another interpreter learns more about the media inquiries that have been made. That’s when Ohtani learns significantly more of his money has been lost to Mizuhara’s gambling addiction. So that earlier point about Mizuhara telling ESPN about his initial confession to Ohtani was a lie — Ohtani found out alongside the team
– The MLB doesn’t allow betting on baseball. Betting is allowed but it must be through a regulated agency. (Sources believe the bets were on football/soccer and basketball)
– There’s a federal probe. An brief update is Mizuhara has turned himself in after being charged with fraud
– Thompson says that the infamous case of Pete Rose has been the last big MLB betting fallout but this situation is unprecedented that it involves the sport’s biggest star is — it’s A LOT GOING ON
Sources – ESPN Daily | CNN Twitter
