Court records and official penalty announcements

Ippei Mizuhara Impersonated Shohei Ohtani in $200,000 Transfer Attempt, Faces 57 Months for Greed-Driven Fraud

Jan 24, 2025, 02:40 AM

Federal prosecutors have disclosed a nearly four-minute audio recording that allegedly captures Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, impersonating the baseball player during a phone call with a bank. The recording, which was obtained by The Athletic from the Department of Justice, is being used as evidence in Mizuhara's case. He is accused of attempting to transfer $200,000 from one of Ohtani's accounts, claiming the funds were for a car loan to a friend he had met many times. Mizuhara, who pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud for stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani, is scheduled to be sentenced on February 6. Prosecutors are seeking a prison term of 57 months for Mizuhara and restitution of approximately $17 million to Ohtani, along with a $1.1 million penalty to the IRS. The prosecutors argue that Mizuhara's actions were motivated by greed rather than a gambling addiction, despite his use of the stolen funds to cover gambling debts.