Baseball star Shohei Ohtani wants his former interpreter to hand over baseball cards worth hundreds of thousands of dollars that he claims were fraudulently purchased with his money.
The Los Angeles Dodgers star is also asking Ippei Mizuhara, who previously pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud for stealing nearly $17 million from the unsuspecting athlete, to return signed collectible baseball cards featuring Ohtani who were in “unauthorized and wrongful possession” of Mizuhara, according to court documents filed Tuesday.
The legal filing alleges that Mizuhara accessed Ohtani’s bank account starting around November 2021, changing its security protocols so he could impersonate him to authorize wire transfers. By 2024, Mizuhara had used that money to purchase baseball cards worth about $325,000 from online retailers eBay and Whatnot, according to court documents.
Mizuhara’s attorney, Michael G. Freedman, declined to comment on the filing.
Mizuhara pleaded guilty in June to spending millions from Ohtani’s Arizona bank account to cover his growing gambling bets and debts with an illegal bookmaker, as well as his own medical bills and the $325,000 in cards baseball.
Mizuhara is scheduled to be sentenced in January after pleading guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return, crimes that carry a potential sentence of more than 30 years of federal prison. He may also have to pay restitution to Ohtani that could total nearly $17 million, as well as more than $1 million to the IRS. And as a legal permanent resident with a green card, he could be deported to Japan.
Mizuhara has been by Ohtani’s side during many of the highlights of the Japanese sensation’s career, from being his catcher during the Home Run Derby at the 2021 All-Star Game, to being there for both of his victories for American League MVP and his record $700 million. 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Off the field, Mizuhara became Ohtani’s friend and confidant. He resigned from the Los Angeles Angels during the 2021 MLB lockout so he could continue talking to Ohtani — he was rehired after a deal was reached — and their wives reportedly socialized.
But Mizuhara risked it all, betting tens of millions of dollars that didn’t belong to him to bet on international soccer, the NBA, the NFL and college football – although prosecutors said he never bet on baseball.
Earlier this year, Ohtani and the Dodgers won the World Series and the baseball star won his third Most Valuable Player award.
