Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter charged with bank fraud after authorities discover $16M in transfers from MLB star’s account

Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, has been charged with bank fraud for allegedly transferring $16 million of Ohtani’s money to a sportsbook in California.

Federal authorities announced the charge in a Los Angeles court Thursday, sharing their belief that Mizuhara bet extensively with an alleged illegal sportsbook from 2021 until earlier this year, according to Alden González of ESPN.

Authorities said no bets appeared to have been placed on baseball games, González reported.

Shohei Ohtani gambling investigation

The bank fraud charge is the latest development in a scandal that has rocked the baseball world.

Mizuhara’s alleged gambling habit first came to light in late March, when the interpreter was accused of accruing $4.5 million in gambling debt, as the Deseret News reported at the time.

At first, Ohtani’s camp told ESPN that the baseball superstar was aware of Mizuhara’s debt and had agreed to give him the money.

But then, a spokesman for Ohtani retracted that story, alleging that the money was stolen and that Mizuhara was the source of the confusion.

Mizuhara was fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He had been employed by the ball club to serve as Ohtani’s interpreter.

The MLB then launched a formal investigation into Ohtani and Mizuhara’s activities, which is still ongoing.

“Ohtani has denied that he had placed any bets or had any knowledge of Mizuhara’s gambling,” according to CBS Sports.