Prior to Shohei Ohtani’s MVP season with the Los Angeles Dodgers really getting into full swing, news broke of his former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara’s involvement in a handful of illegal activities.
The Dodgers fired Mizuhara while the team was playing in the Seoul Series in March, and a subsequent investigation revealed that he stole around $17 million from Ohtani. Mizuhara eventually pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud, and he now faces up to 33 years in federal prison.
In addition to stealing money to pay off his gambling debts, Mizuhara purchased sports memorabilia using Ohtani’s funds. Specifically, Mizuhara bought several autographed Ohtani cards from online resale platforms with the intention to resell them himself.
As Mizuhara faces sentencing, Ohtani asked a federal judge for ownership of the cards that were seized. His request was granted, so Ohtani will have that merchandise back in his possession, per Sam Blum and Evan Drellich of The Athletic:
Shohei Ohtani will recover $325,000 worth of baseball cards fraudulently purchased by Ippei Mizuhara, federal prosecutors said in a court filing on Monday. Mizuhara, Ohtani’s former interpreter and confidant, is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 24, at which point the government will move for an order “to reflect Ohtani’s superior interest in the property.”
Ohtani requested for the merchandise to be returned in late November, so it was a fairly quick resolution in that matter. However, there is still more to come from the case.
Mizuhara’s sentencing hearing was originally scheduled for Oct. 25, which coincided with Game 1 of the 2024 World Series. However, the hearing was rescheduled to Dec. 20 after Mizuhara asked prosecutors to have it moved to a later date.
His sentencing has since been delayed to Jan. 24, 2025.
Mizuhara served as Ohtani’s interpreter during his entire tenure with the Los Angeles Angels, and the root of the gambling scandal dates back several years.
Shohei Ohtani moved past Ippei Mizuhara scandal
Ohtani had reportedly been feeling the effects in the early days of the initial reports breaking, which included a lack of sleep and being thrown off his usual schedule.
However, he still went on to win an MVP, the Hank Aaron Award, a Silver Slugger and an All-Star Game selection while earning a spot on the All-MLB Team. His storybook season was capped off with his first World Series title.
Although Mizuhara’s exodus from the organization and Ohtani’s life was initially a challenge, the superstar did not let that deter his greatness.
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