The excitement of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2024 season after signing Shohei Ohtani was somewhat tempered when the two-way superstar and his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, became the center of a betting scandal.
Mizuhara was quickly fired after allegations that he stole millions of dollars from Ohtani to pay off gambling debts. After lying about what happened originally, there were many questions to answer about what happened and Ohtani’s potential involvement in the matter.
A federal investigation brought bank fraud and tax fraud charges against Mizuhara, and determined Ohtani was a victim in the case. MLB’s own investigation was still ongoing after the federal charges against Mizuhara, but it is now complete.
MLB’s investigation shared the same conclusion as the federal investigation — that Ohtani is a victim of theft and did not have any involvement in betting on sports.
“Based on the thoroughness of the federal investigation that was made public, the information MLB collected, and the criminal proceeding being resolved without being contested, MLB considers Shohei Ohtani a victim of fraud and this matter has been closed,” the league said in a statement.
Earlier in the day, Mizuhara made a formal guilty plea to the charges against him and faces up to 33 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 25, 2024 at 2 p.m. PT.
Ohtani has now been cleared of any wrongdoing by multiple federal agencies and Major League Baseball, and the situation is resolved from Ohtani’s end.
He admitted to the situation taking a toll on him early in the season, so hopefully he can fully put it behind him and move on. There is also an expectation Ohtani will speak again following the conclusion of both investigations and Mizuhara pleading guilty.
Dodgers statement on Shohei Ohtani investigation closing
After news of MLB’s investigation being completed came out, the Dodgers released their own statement on the matter.
“With today’s plea in the criminal proceedings against Ippei Mizuhara and the conclusion of both federal and MLB investigations, the Dodgers are pleased that Shohei and the team can put this entire matter behind them and move forward in pursuit of a World Series title.”
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