Following superstar pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani’s move to the Los Angeles Dodgers this year, many would have expected headlines to be filled with news about how one of the world’s greatest players is getting on in his new home.

However, Ohtani has instead found himself in the middle of a huge fraud investigation surrounding his former interpreter and long-term friend, Ippei Mizhuara.

Fraud Accusations

Since entering Ohtani’s life in 2018, Mizhuara has managed to insert himself into an important role as an interpreter, friend, and even manager. As part of this role, Mizhuara was given access to Ohtani’s bank accounts and was trusted to use them as any legitimate businessman and friend would. 

Nevertheless, Mizhuara has recently been accused of abusing Ohtani’s trust and stealing over $16 million from his accounts to finance his illegal sports betting hobby.

Charges

As the case has progressed, the latest updates show Mizhuara has now been charged with federal bank fraud and, if found guilty, reports suggest he could be facing up to 30 years in federal prison. Notably, Mizhuara seems to have admitted some involvement, with a message to his bookmaker reading, “Technically, I did steal from him. It’s all over for me”. 

It’s important to note here that there is no indication that Ohtani had any idea about what Mizhuara was doing. Sadly, this means that he’s been taken advantage of by someone he considered a close friend. Undoubtedly, he’ll want to put this saga behind him and get back to doing what he does best – playing baseball.