Shohei Ohtani speaks to the media for the first time since the illegal gambling and theft allegations involving the Dodgers star's former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara emerged during the team's trip to South Korea. Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani spoke to the media on Monday for the first time since his translator, Ippei Mizuhara, was fired following accusations that he stole more than $4 million from Ohtani to cover his illegal gambling debts. Ohtani said media members reached out to "a representative in my camp inquiring about my potential involvement in this sports betting" last weekend but added that Mizuhara "never revealed to me that there was this media inquiry." Mizuhara initially told ESPN on Tuesday night that after Ohtani agreed to pay the debts, the two-way star logged into his own computer and sent eight or nine transactions, all in increments of $500,000, to a Southern California bookmaker named Mathew Bowyer over the course of several months last year, adding "loan" to the description field. In a roughly 12-minute statement, Ohtani denied having ever bet on sports and said repeatedly that Mizuhara had lied to him throughout the process. "I never bet on baseball or any other sports or never have asked somebody to do that on my behalf," Ohtani said through an interpreter. "And I have never been through a bookmaker to bet on sports. ...https://abc30.com/sports/ohtani-say...rts-shocked-interpreter-stole-money/14570097/ Ohtani's interpreter may have used Ohtani's laptop or mobile phone to access Ohtani's bank account, from which he sent millions to the gangster without Ohtani's knowledge. Mizuhara may have helped Ohtani to set up the online bank account and managed it. Mizuhara is a close friend of Ohtani, who also worked as a driver and personal trainer for Ohtani. The IRS is currently investigating the matter.
Mizuhara changed the settings on Ohtani's bank account so Ohtani would not receive alerts or confirmations about transactions, wiring the money in $500,000 increments last year to a California bookmaker under federal investigation. Mizuhara is in negotiations to plead guilty. Ippei Mizuhara, the translator accused of stealing millions of dollars from Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani to cover gambling debts, is negotiating to plead guilty, The New York Times reported Wednesday. Citing “three people briefed on the matter,” the Times also wrote that prosecutors found evidence that Mizuhara may have pilfered more than the $4.5 million initially reported, and changed the settings on Ohtani’s bank account so the player would not receive transaction alerts. Mizuhara would be more likely to receive a lenient sentence with an early guilty plea. https://www.yahoo.com/news/shohei-ohtanis-ex-interpreter-negotiating-153042364.html
