Shohei Ohtani’s Interpreter Fired , Amid Allegations of ‘Massive Theft’.
Ippei Mizuhara, the Dodgers' interpreter for Ohtani, was fired on March 20, ESPN reports.
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Ippei Mizuhara, the Dodgers' interpreter for Ohtani, was fired on March 20, ESPN reports.
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Mizuhara, a longtime friend of Ohtani, allegedly wired at least $4.5 million to a bookmaking operation in Southern California to cover his gambling debts.
At first, a spokesman for Ohtani and Mizuhara said that the baseball star purposefully transferred the funds to pay his friend's gambling debt.
At first, a spokesman for Ohtani and Mizuhara said that the baseball star purposefully transferred the funds to pay his friend's gambling debt.
I dug myself a hole and it kept on getting bigger, and it meant I had to bet bigger to get out of it and just kept on losing.
It's like a snowball effect, Ippei Mizuhara, to ESPN.
Obviously, he [Ohtani] wasn't happy about it and said he would help me out to make sure I never do this again.
He decided to pay it off for me.
, Ippei Mizuhara, to ESPN.
I want everyone to know Shohei had zero involvement in betting.
I want people to know I did not know this was illegal.
I learned my lesson the hard way.
I will never do sports betting ever again, Ippei Mizuhara, to ESPN.
Later, both the spokesperson and Mizuhara walked back their claims. In the course of responding to recent media inquiries, we discovered that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft, and we are turning the matter over to the authorities, Berk Brettler LLP, via statement.
Obviously, this is all my fault, everything I've done.
I'm ready to face all the consequences, Ippei Mizuhara, via statement.
Southern California bookmaker Mathew Bowyer, whom the wire transfers were sent to, is also being investigated.
Sports betting is currently illegal in California
