Shocking New Details Explain How Shohei Ohtani’s Interpreter Used Casinos To Launder Millions Of Dollars And Pay Off Bookies
Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, is now accused of making multiple casino payments with stolen money from the player’s bank account.
A report from ESPN notes that several $500,000 payments were allegedly sent to gambling accounts linked to casinos in California and Las Vegas from Mizuhara, who is alleged to have used Ohtani’s money. The money was reportedly converted into chips and cashed out to pay illegal bookmaker Mathew Boywer.
Bowyer’s people reportedly frequented Pechanga Resort Casino in Southern California and Resorts World Casino in Vegas, with Bowyer losing $7.9 million betting at the latter.
The bookie’s home was raided by the feds in October. He was then branded a known bookmaker and banned from casinos across the country.
As for Mizuhara, his gambling and alleged misappropriation of Ohtani’s funds were uncovered at the MLB season after reporters probed into why Ohtani’s name came up in a federal investigation pertaining to Bowyer’s operation.
It is alleged that the interpreter stole $16 million from the star pitcher and owed over $40 million in gambling debt, having made around 19,000 bets.
Ippei Mizuhara Is Facing A Lengthy Prison Sentence
Ippei Mizuhara has since turned himself in to the authorities and is now facing up to 30 years in prison on federal bank fraud charges, having been released on a $25,000 bond.
“Mathew Bowyer, the California bookmaker who took Mizuhara’s bets, was a frequent customer at Las Vegas casino Resorts World,” ESPN reports. “The sources told ESPN that Mizuhara paid his losses to Bowyer’s associate, who forwarded the money to his own “marker” accounts at Resorts World and Pechanga Resort Casino in Southern California. The men then withdrew chips from the marker account, gambled with them, and if they won, cashed out.”
Ohtani is being viewed as a victim.
The player recently told reporters how grateful he is to the Dodgers organization and his teammates, who have all been supporting him amid the troubling circumstances.
