BREAKING: Major Breakthrough Emerges In Gambling Investigation Involving Dodgers Superstar Shohei Ohtani
This week, Shohei Ohtani received great news regarding the gambling controversy and his former friend and interpreter.
Regarding their investigation into his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, who was previously accused of stealing $4.5 million from the reigning American League MVP’s bank account to cover gambling debts owed to an illegal bookmaking operation, federal authorities have now concluded that Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was the victim of fraud, according to TMZ Sports.
It has been claimed by Tim Arango and Michael S. Schmidt of the New York Times that Mizuhara is in talks to enter a guilty plea to federal offenses related to the purported theft.
Paula Lavigne and T.J. Quinn of ESPN added that the former Dodgers interpreter is facing federal charges for his crimes.
The Times has reported via its sources that “prosecutors have uncovered evidence that Mizuhara may have stolen more money from Ohtani than the $4.5 million he was initially accused of pilfering.”
The report added that the investigators think they have evidence that Mizuhara changed Ohtani’s bank account settings so he couldn’t get alerts following transactions.
The New York Times added that Shohei Ohtani was interviewed by federal investigators as part of their investigation.
A few weeks ago, Shohei Ohtani stated to the public for the first time that he had never placed bets on baseball or any sports, for that matter. He also added that his former interpreter stole money from him and lied about the situation.
The Dodgers announced that Ippei Mizuhara had been fired from his role as Ohtani’s interpreter last month. Ohtani’s representatives were reportedly quick to request a legal investigation into the scheme, and Major League Baseball also opened its own investigation days after his dismissal.
TMZ Sports reported that federal authorities “concluded Mizuhara was lying — that Ohtani was completely in the dark over the gambling debt, and Mizuhara embezzled from one of Ohtani’s accounts without the pitcher’s knowledge.”
They further stated Ohtani “was not involved in any wrongdoing and has never had any association with gambling or bookmaking.”
Shohei Ohtani Will Soon Be Able To Relax And Put The Gambling Scandal Behind Him
Shohei Ohtani (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Shohei Ohtani signing a historic deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers was the talk of the offseason, but it died off quickly after the gambling scandal rocked the sport.
With the newest update, the Dodgers star can finally start to put this situation behind him so he can thrill fans with his talents on the field.
