Newly released audio reveals Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, impersonating the baseball superstar to execute a $200,000 wire transfer. Federal prosecutors disclosed the four-minute recording, a crucial piece of evidence in Mizuhara's conviction for defrauding Ohtani of nearly $17 million. The recording, obtained by The Athletic from the Department of Justice, captures Mizuhara posing as Ohtani during a call with a bank representative, successfully bypassing security measures to initiate the transfer for a purported car loan.
Mizuhara, who pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud in June 2024, faces sentencing in February. Prosecutors are recommending a nearly five-year sentence and restitution to Ohtani. The recording corroborates prosecutors' claims that Mizuhara routinely contacted banks to arrange fraudulent transfers. In the call, Mizuhara answers "Shohei Ohtani" when asked for his identity and provides his own contact information for two-factor authentication, enabling him to receive the security code and authorize the transaction.
Despite the bank agent's warning about recent fraud trends, Mizuhara claims the payee is a friend he has met numerous times. He previously admitted to using stolen funds to cover substantial gambling debts, accumulating over $142 million in winnings while incurring losses exceeding $183 million. He maintains he did not wager on baseball, and there's no evidence to suggest Ohtani did either.
Court documents reveal Mizuhara placed approximately 19,000 online bets between December 2021 and January 2024 through an illegal gambling operation. His debt reached $40.7 million. Prosecutors emphasized the calculated betrayal of trust by Mizuhara, who exploited his position to deceive Ohtani's financial advisors. Ohtani expressed shock and sadness over the incident, highlighting the deep personal impact of the betrayal by someone he considered a close friend.
