Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter fired amid illegal betting, ‘massive theft’ allegations
Global News
The allegations emerged after reporters looked into Shohei Ohtani's finances and allegedly found wire transfers worth millions to a bookmaker under federal investigation.
Superstar baseball player Shohei Ohtani is at the centre of a murky story concerning his longtime friend and English-language interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, who was fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday amid allegations he engaged in illegal gambling and stole from the player.
The allegations came to light following reports from ESPN and the Los Angeles Times, which began digging into Ohtani’s finances over questionable wire transfers he allegedly made to a bookmaking operation currently under federal investigation. The wire transfers were allegedly to the tune of millions.
Ohtani’s lawyers claim that the player has been “the victim of a massive theft.” But in a now-recanted interview, Mizuhara told ESPN he asked Ohtani to pay off his gambling debts and the player agreed.
All we know for certain is that Mizuhara has been terminated by the Dodgers. The team said they are “aware of media reports and are gathering information” but had “no further comment at this time.”
Mizuhara, 39, is a recognizable face in baseball as a constant presence beside Ohtani, 29. The interpreter first met the baseball phenom in 2013 when they both worked for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters team in Japan. From there, Mizuhara followed Ohtani to the Los Angeles Angels in 2017, and, most recently, to the Dodgers.
Outside of their professional relationship, Mizuhara and Ohtani appear to have a close bond, which makes news of their fallout all the more shocking to baseball fans.
The story appears to begin with reporters asking questions about Ohtani’s alleged million-dollar wire transfers to bookmaker Mathew Bowyer, whose home was raided last year as part of a federal investigation into illegal gambling. A source told the L.A. Times that Ohtani’s representatives began looking into Mizuhara in response to the Times’ questions.
Sports gambling is illegal in California, even as 38 states and the District of Columbia allow some form of it.
