Shohei Ohtani was involved in the betting scandal and Ippei Mizuhara’s addiction. According to TMZ, the federal investigation determined that Ohtani is innocent and the culprit is his translator.
The portal detailed that the feds determined that Mizuhara lied and kept Ohtani in the dark about his gambling addiction and the million-dollar debts that reached $4.5 million dollars according to reports.
The investigations concluded that Ohtani was not part of any bet and is not linked to betting houses.
“I am very sad and surprised that someone I trusted did this,” Ohtani began in the statement to the media.
The Japanese, who signed a $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers, blamed Mizuhara, his translator, for the betting case and also called him a liar.
“I never bet on baseball or any other sport. I have never asked anyone to do that on my behalf. I’ve never been to a betting house. “Ippei has been stealing money from my account and telling lies,” Ohtani detailed.
Federal authorities conclude Shohei Ohtani was a victim of fraud and was not involved in gambling scheme with former translator Ippei Mizuhara, per @TMZ_Sports, @tarangoNYT, @nytmike
Mizuhara is “in negotiations” to plead guilty in connection to alleged theft of Ohtani’s money pic.twitter.com/uvZvFUaxX8
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 11, 2024
Charges and sentencing for Ippei Mizuhara will be determined by relevant authoritieswhile Ohtani will be able to continue the season with the Los Angeles Dodgers without major problems.
Ippei Mizuhara plans plea bargain
This Wednesday it was learned that Ippei Mizuhara, the main person accused of being linked to gambling, is in negotiations to plead guilty to federal crimes, according to the New York Times.
According to the information, prosecutors have discovered evidence that Mizuhara may have stolen more money from Ohtani than the $4.5 million which he was initially accused of stealing.
Authorities believe they have evidence that Mizuhara was able to change the settings on Ohtani’s bank account. With this, the Dodgers’ Japanese player did not receive alerts or confirmations about the transactions, sources told the NYT.
If Mizuhara pleads guilty, the former Dodgers translator could receive a lighter sentence than if he pleads not guilty.
After returning from the Seoul Series in Korea, Mizuhara was detained by authorities, although he was not arrested and it is unknown where he has been in recent weeks.
Keep reading:
– Shohei Ohtani affirms that he has never bet on baseball: “Ippei has told lies”
– Dave Roberts clear with the expectations of the Dodgers: “Not winning the World Series is a failure”
2024-04-11 14:43:33
#Federal #Authorities #Call #Shohei #Ohtani #Victim #Gambling #Scandal
