There has been shocking news regarding the acquaintance of Shohei Ohtani, one of the world’s top sports stars beyond Japan.
According to reports from American media outlets like the LA Times on the 20th (local time), the LA Dodgers team has fired Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. Mizuhara was reportedly dismissed due to allegations of illegal gambling and theft.
Mizuhara is currently under investigation by local law enforcement regarding these charges.
According to the reports, Mizuhara recently fell into illegal gambling and even tampered with Ohtani’s money. The damage Ohtani suffered is said to amount to several million dollars.
Mizuhara’s crimes came to light during the LA Times’ investigation into an illegal sports gambler in the U.S.
According to a report by ESPN, a U.S. sports specialist media outlet, Mizuhara embezzled at least $4.5 million from Ohtani’s account.
Mizuhara is known to have been gambling on various sports, including soccer, since 2021. However, he reportedly did not bet on baseball.
Upon hearing the news, Ohtani’s side launched fact-finding and confirmed that Mizuhara used the player’s funds for illegal gambling.
Berk Brettler LLP in West Hollywood released a statement, “We discovered in the course of our investigation that Ohtani was the victim of a large-scale theft, and we have turned this case over to the authorities.”
Mizuhara, often called a shadow interpreter, has accompanied Ohtani on all his schedules. The connection between Ohtani and Mizuhara dates back to Ohtani’s entry into Major League Baseball (MLB). It is reported that they shared a close friendship beyond their business relationship.
Mizuhara also attended the opening game against the San Diego Padres at the Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome on the 20th (Korean time).
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