MLB Investigates Gambling Claims Around Ohtani's Interpreter

Major League Baseball has launched a formal investigation into allegations that Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, stole millions of dollars to cover debts with an illegal bookmaker.

While Mizuhara has been fired and maintains that Ohtani had no involvement in gambling, federal authorities and the league are working to determine the full scope of the "massive theft."

Ippei Mizuhara is serving a 57 month sentence in central Pennsylvania, eligible for parole in 2029, after admitting he stole nearly $17 million from Shohei Ohtani by impersonating him on roughly two dozen bank calls ESPN. MLB closed its investigation within hours of the June 2024 plea, declaring Ohtani a victim of fraud. The bookmaker who took at least 19,000 wagers served seven months of a yearlong sentence, and Nevada casinos agreed to about $34 million in fines for laundering an operation that included Ohtani's money the AP. Deportation to Japan awaits when the term ends.