The scale of the $16million theft from Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, may have been revealed.
Mizuhara has been accused of stealing money from Ohtani’s bank accounts in order to pay off a massive gambling debt – and then tried hiding it by saying the baseball star was helping him.
According to ESPN sources, Mizuhara made a series of $500,000 payments from the baseball star’s bank account and forwarded them to California and Las Vegas casinos in order to pay back an illegal bookie.
Mizuhara would then deposit the cash in gambling accounts, convert the money to chips, and then would later cash them out in order to pay back the bookie.
The interpreter is now the subject of a federal probe into what Mizuhara has called a gambling addiction.
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter Ippei Mizuhara (R) funneled money through casino accounts
He would convert the money to chips and then would cash out before giving it to associates
Sources told ESPN that Mizuhara would pay his losses to an associate of the bookie Mathew Bowyer at Resorts World in Las Vegas.
The associate would then forward the cash to his own ‘marker’ accounts in Resorts World and at Pechanga Resort Casino in Southern California.
Per ESPN, Bowyer lost $7.9million at Resorts World between June 2022 and October of 2023.
Federal agents raided his home back in October and dubbed him a known bookmaker while banning him from entering any casino in the United States.
Resorts World is reportedly the centerpiece of a federal investigation into ‘illegal sports bookmaking organizations operating in Southern California and the laundering of the proceeds of these operations through casinos in Las Vegas.’
Multiple people have been charged or convicted and two casinos have paid fines, according to a federal affidavit.
A Resorts World spokesperson told ESPN that the casino doesn’t comment on ongoing legal matters but, ‘Resorts World Las Vegas takes any suggestion of violations seriously and is cooperating with the ongoing investigation.’
Mizuhara turned himself into authorities and has been released on a $25,000 bond
Weeks ago, Mizuhara was released on $25,000 bond and was given a court order to seek gambling addiction treatment.
He turned himself into law enforcement and did not enter a plea in court proceedings.
Mizuhara is charged with one count of bank fraud and faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison if convicted.
