Ex-interpreter tried to scam Shohei Ohtani, baseball’s highest paid star, of $2,00,000 by impersonating him
According to a report in The Athletic, US prosecutors have convicted Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara of impersonating the baseball star and doing bank frauds
Ippei Mizuhara, left, stands next to Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani, right, during an interview at Dodger Stadium in February last year. (AP Photo) In a bizarre incident, a former interpreter of baseball star Shohei Ohtani, who had signed a 10-year $700 million contract with Major League Baseball side Los Angeles Dodgers last year, has been convicted of defrauding the baseball star in an attempt to complete a $2,00,000 bank transfer by impersonating Ohtani through one of the player’s bank accounts.
According to The Athletic, federal prosecutors came out with a four-minute long audio, which showed Ippei Mizuhara, a former interpreter of Ohtani, repeatedly calling the bank to arrange wire transfers. According to the news report, assistant US Attorney Jeff Mitchell shared that the recording was obtained from the bank to back up the prosecution’s claims of the fraud committed by Mizuhara as he routed Ohtani’s online account information to his own email and phone number. According to the new report, the prosecutors recommended a five-year sentence and restitution for Mizuhara with the interpreter pleading guilty to bank fraud and filing a false tax return after stealing more than 17 million dollars from the baseball star. The sentencing is scheduled to happen on February 6 with Mizuhara citing gambling addiction with debts of 40,7 million dollars asking the prosecutors for a shorter sentence of 18 months.
Share
