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Ippei Mizuhara, known for his role as the interpreter and day-to-day manager for MLB star Shohei Ohtani, is currently under federal investigation. According to a 37-page complaint filed by federal prosecutors, Mizuhara is charged with bank fraud for allegedly misappropriating over $16 million from Ohtani’s accounts. The funds were reportedly used to cover massive gambling debts and to purchase a significant number of baseball cards.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated that Mizuhara used Ohtani’s bank account to buy approximately 1,000 baseball cards from online platforms such as eBay and Whatnot, under the alias "Jay Min." These purchases, averaging about $325 per card, were made between January of this year and last month. Some of these packages were sent to Mizuhara in care of the Dodgers, where he had them set aside by a clubhouse employee.

Further investigation revealed more cards in Mizuhara’s vehicle, with notable names such as Juan Soto and Yogi Berra, alongside cards of Ohtani himself. IRS Special Investigator Chris Seymour noted that the cards were found in protective cases, indicating their intended use for collection. Authorities are still working to inventory all the purchased cards, which Mizuhara allegedly planned to sell at a later date.

The focus on Mizuhara’s misuse of funds highlights his gambling habits, where he reportedly placed around 19,000 bets with a net loss of $40.7 million between late 2021 and early this year. It is noted that none of these bets involved Major League Baseball games. The case against Mizuhara began to unfold when he assisted Ohtani, who was new to the U.S. and did not speak English, in opening a bank account upon his arrival in 2018. Despite Ohtani never giving Mizuhara control over his financial accounts, prosecutors claim Mizuhara exploited his position of trust to divert funds for personal use.

U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada condemned Mizuhara's actions, emphasizing the scale of the fraud. Mizuhara's illicit activities extended to posing as Ohtani to authorize wire transfers to associates of his gambling operations. Ohtani, cooperating with law enforcement, has denied any knowledge or authorization of these transactions.

Mizuhara is scheduled to make his initial court appearance in downtown Los Angeles soon, where he will face the consequences of his actions.