Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani's interpreter Ippei Mizuhara has pled guilty to charges stemming from the unlawful transfer of money from Ohtani's bank account, per Molly Knight of The Long Game:
“DOJ: Ippei Mizuhara has agreed to plead guilty to bank fraud and tax charge in connection with unlawful transfer of nearly $17 million from Shohei Ohtani”
Mizuhara is accused of stealing $16 million from the Dodgers superstar to feed what Mizuhara described to ESPN as a gambling addiction. His arraignment has been rescheduled to May 14.
Ryan Boyajian, a current cast member of Bravo's reality TV series “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” is the bookmaker's associate to whom Ippei Mizuhara wired money to pay his gambling debts, per Tisha Thompson of ESPN:
“As first reported by ESPN, and later detailed in the criminal complaint against Mizuhara, Mathew Bowyer, the illegal bookmaker under investigation, told the interpreter he could pay his gambling debts by wiring money into the account of Bowyer's associate, known in the complaint as “Associate 1.”
That associate is Boyajian, who used the account with Bowyer for their real estate projects, according to the sources. Boyajian, 47, and Bowyer, 49, have been close friends and business associates for nearly 20 years. When Bowyer declared bankruptcy in 2011, court records show Boyajian loaned him $245,000.”
Mizuhara first met Ohtani in 2013 when Mizuhara served as an interpreter for one of Ohtani's Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters teammates. When Ohtani got ready make the move from Japan to MLB, Mizuhara became Ohtani's personal interpreter. From that point forward, the two became close friends, working closely during Ohtani's six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels.
The Dodgers slugger was cleared by MLB of any wrongdoing related to the scandal.
Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers keep rolling
Despite the off-field distraction, Ohtani is raking for the Dodgers so far this season.
Ohtani would be in the MVP conversation without question if the season ended today. He is currently slashing .370/.434/.705/1.135. His batting average, slugging, and OPS all lead the league. Additionally, Ohtani leads the league with 11 home runs, 14 doubles, 54 hits, 103 total bases, and a 220 OPS-plus.
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw believes Ohtani is playing even better with the Dodgers than he did with the Los Angeles Angels, and it is important to remember that Shohei won two MVP awards while in Anaheim.
“I don't remember him being even this good in Anaheim,” Kershaw recently said on the Dodgers broadcast. “You look up and you watch the highlights… I don't remember him ever being on this kind of tear. This is unbelievable. Every ball that he hits, he's just so strong. I don't get it, I don't think anybody does… It's just amazing.”
The Dodgers currently sit at 25-13 and lead the National League West standings by 6.5 games over the San Diego Padres.
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