James Myers of OAN
8:45am – Thursday, April 11, 2024
A former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani is likely to be indicted by federal authorities in connection with a gambling investigation linked to a California bookmaker, multiple sources said.
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Ippei Mizuhara, who was fired by the Dodgers in March for allegedly stealing millions of dollars from Ohtani to cover sports gambling debts, is currently “in negotiations” to plead guilty to federal crimes.
according to TMZcited law enforcement sources as saying Ohtani was the victim of fraud and had no knowledge of the alleged scheme that cost Ohtani more than $4.5 million.
The investigation, led by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Criminal Division Los Angeles Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, is currently working towards closure.
The investigation revealed that Mizuhara may have changed the settings on Otani’s bank account to prevent him from receiving notifications about ongoing transactions.
according to new york timesMizuhara allegedly stole more than the $4.5 million originally reported as part of the alleged theft.
Additionally, the former interpreter for the current American League MVP is expected to be indicted within the next few days, but it has not yet been determined what specific charges he will be charged with. TMZ.
“I am extremely saddened and shocked that someone I trusted would do something like this,” Ohtani said at a news conference in Los Angeles last month.
“Ippei stole money from my account and lied to me,” Otani said in Japanese with the help of another interpreter.
“In the course of responding to recent media interviews, we discovered that Shohei was the victim of a grand theft and have decided to refer this matter to the authorities,” the baseball star’s lawyer said in a statement at the time. ” he said.
The 29-year-old Japanese baseball player signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers this offseason.
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