Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter accused of stealing $16M from the MLB star

The former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers sensation Shohei Ohtani was federally charged with bank fraud Thursday, accused of stealing more than $16 million from one of Major League Baseball's biggest stars.

The former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers sensation Shohei Ohtani was federally charged with bank fraud Thursday, accused of stealing more than $16 million from one of Major League Baseball's biggest stars.

Ippei Mizuhara met Ohtani, who did not know English, in 2013 and helped him set up a bank account shortly after he arrived in the U.S. in 2018, and has since acted as his de facto manager, Martin Estrada, the U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, told reporters at an afternoon news conference.

Mizuhara, 39, of Newport Beach, California, who had an "insatiable appetite for illegal sports gambling," accessed Ohtani's bank account online and shut out Ohtani's agent, accountant and financial adviser from the account, allowing him to commit "fraud on a massive scale," Estrada said.

Shohei Ohtani, right, and his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, watch the Dodgers' season opener against the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea, on March 20.Kyodo via AP file“I want to emphasize this point: Mr. Ohtani is considered a victim in this case. There is no evidence to indicate that Mr. Ohtani authorized the over $16 million of transfers from his account to the bookmakers,” he said.

Estrada added: “Mr. Ohtani has cooperated fully and completely in this investigation. He’s not only spoken to investigators; he’s provided access to his digital devices, to his personal information, to ensure that justice was done.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/ex-ohtani-interpreter-mizuhara-likely-charged-us-rcna147313

---