Shohei Ohtani's Ex-Interpreter in Talks for Guilty Plea Over Theft Allegations, Revealed by New York Times

A former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is currently in talks to plead guilty to federal crimes. The New York Times reported on Wednesday that he is accused of stealing millions from Ohtani and using it for gambling, according to three sources familiar with the situation.

Ippei Mizuhara was let go last month after Ohtani’s legal team accused him of stealing from Ohtani and placing bets with a bookmaker who is currently under federal investigation. Ohtani himself later claimed that Mizuhara took the money from his bank account.

Prosecutors now suspect that Mizuhara may have taken more money from Ohtani than the $4.5 million initially reported. According to three sources familiar with the situation who spoke to the New York Times.

It is believed by law enforcement investigators that Mizuhara altered the settings on Ohtani's bank accounts. This would have stopped Ohtani from receiving notifications and confirmations for transactions, as reported by the New York Times and confirmed by the same three sources.

Ohtani has denied any involvement in the scandal.

An attorney for Mizuhara, Michael Freedman, told CNN Wednesday that “we do not have any comment at this time.”

The Dodgers were in South Korea for an MLB season-opening series in March when the allegations against Mizuhara became public. According to reports from ESPN and the Los Angeles Times, Ohtani's lawyers accused Mizuhara of "massive theft" of millions of dollars and placing bets with a bookie under federal investigation. Mizuhara was fired while the team was in Seoul.

Ohtani, who had recently signed baseball's richest contract with the Dodgers, spoke to reporters on March 25 and strongly denied any involvement in betting on sports or paying a bookie. He stood by his lawyer's claims that Mizuhara had been stealing from his account.

During the March 25 news conference at Dodger Stadium, Ohtani stated that he has never placed bets on baseball or any other sports. He also mentioned that he has never asked someone else to bet on his behalf or gone through a bookmaker to place sports bets.

The two-time MVP revealed that he only became aware of money being sent from one of his bank accounts to a bookmaker while on a trip to South Korea. It was during a one-on-one meeting after a team gathering in the clubhouse that Ohtani realized something was amiss.

Ohtani, Major League Baseball’s only two-way player, expressed his deep sadness and shock over the actions of someone he trusted.

According to ESPN’s Tisha Thompson, who cited multiple unnamed sources on CNN’s “The Lead” last month, at least $4.5 million was withdrawn from Ohtani’s bank accounts via wire transfer. However, it remains unclear who initiated these transfers.

The scandal has led to a closer look at the relationship between professional sports and gambling.

The Internal Revenue Service and Major League Baseball are currently looking into the situation. The league is investigating to determine if any of its strict rules against gambling have been violated. Players or employees who gamble on baseball can face a one-year suspension, while those who gamble on a game they are involved in can be banned for life. The MLB commissioner also has the authority to penalize individuals who engage in unauthorized sports betting with a bookie.

MLB values Rule 21 so highly that it mandates it to be displayed in all clubhouses.

Ohtani made history by agreeing to a groundbreaking 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers. This came after his exceptional performance, winning the American League MVP title twice in the last three seasons, both as a pitcher and designated hitter for the Angels.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

CNN’s Raja Razek, Homero De la Fuente, Steve Almasy, Dalia Faheid and Elizabeth Wolfe contributed to this story. 

Editor's P/S:

The scandal