Shohei Ohtani’s first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers got off to a rocky start as he was embroiled in a gambling scandal involving longtime interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.
A federal investigation revealed Mizuhara stole nearly $17 million from the two-way star in order to pay off gambling debts incurred while participating in illegal sports betting with a Southern California bookmaker.
Mizuhara also purchased 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, via Noah Furtado and Evan Drellich of The Athletic:
Shohei Ohtani petitioned a federal judge this week for ownership of $325,000 worth of baseball cards fraudulently purchased by Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter and confidant who pleaded guilty earlier this year to defrauding Ohtani of nearly $17 million.
Ohtani, fresh off a World Series win and a National League MVP season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, asked the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Tuesday for a hearing to regain ownership of sports cards authorities seized from Mizuhara. The hearing was granted and scheduled for Dec. 20.
Mizuhara pled guilty to bank and tax fraud in early June. He faces a maximum of 33 years in federal prison between the two charges, along with hefty fines.
Ohtani admitted that he lost sleep over the incident, which initially prevented him from keeping a consistent routine. However, the 29-year-old became more at ease as the investigations involving Mizuhara came to a close.
Mizuhara had served as Ohtani’s interpreter since the two-time American League MVP Award winner made his MLB debut with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018. The Dodgers fired Mizuhara during the Seoul Series as reports surfaced of his involvement in the gambling scandal.
Ippei Mizuhara’s sentencing delayed
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.
Mizuhara’s sentencing has since been delayed to Jan. 24, 2025.
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