Ippei Mizuhara Impersonated Shohei Ohtani in $200,000 Bank Transfer, Faces 57-Month Sentence and $16.9 Million Restitution

Jan 24, 2025, 05:13 AM

Federal prosecutors have disclosed a nearly four-minute audio recording that captures Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, impersonating the baseball player during a phone call with a bank. Mizuhara, who pleaded guilty to bank fraud and filing a false tax return, attempted to transfer $200,000 from Ohtani's account, claiming it was for a car loan. Prosecutors are seeking a 57-month prison sentence for Mizuhara, along with restitution of $16.9 million to Ohtani and $1.1 million to the IRS. Mizuhara's sentencing is scheduled for February 6. The recording was used to demonstrate how Mizuhara bypassed security measures to authorize wire transfers from Ohtani's account. Mizuhara's actions were part of a scheme to cover his gambling debts, which prosecutors argue were motivated by greed rather than gambling addiction.