On March 25, Shohei Ohtani stood before television cameras assembled at Dodger Stadium and said this about his longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara: “Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has told lies.”
That same day, according to a federal criminal complaint filed Thursday, Ohtani granted consent for law enforcement officials to search his phone. The 37-page complaint, which charges Mizuhara with bank fraud, provided details that support what Ohtani said publicly.
On March 20, after The Times first reported Ohtani’s representatives had accused Mizuhara of “massive theft” by using the the player’s money to pay off Mizuhara’s gambling debts, Mizuhara sent a message to his bookie.