Recording captured ex-interpreter impersonating Ohtani to transfer US$200,000, prosecutors say

Ippei Mizuhara, left, stands next to Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani, right, during an interview at Dodger Stadium, Feb. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

A nearly four-minute audio recording allegedly captured Shohei Ohtani ‘s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara impersonating the baseball star on a call with a bank as he attempted to transfer US$200,000 for what he describes as a car loan, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

The recording referenced in a court filing and obtained by The Associated Press is being used to back up prosecutors' push for a nearly five-year sentence for Mizuhara, who previously pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud for stealing almost $17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers star.

Prosecutors are also seeking restitution of the nearly $17 million to Ohtani, as well as a penalty of more than $1 million to the IRS.

Mizuhara is due to be sentenced Feb. 6 after pleading guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return.

His attorney, Michael G. Freedman, did not respond to an email from The Associated Press requesting comment.

In the recording, a man is heard identifying himself as Ohtani and saying that he tried to log into online banking but it wasn’t available. He later confirms that the transaction amount is $200,000.

When the woman from the bank asks him the reason for the transaction, he says it’s for a car loan.

“What is your relationship to the payee?” she asks.

“Um, he’s my friend,” the man responds.

The recording was obtained from the bank, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Mitchell. It’s unclear when it was made.

Towards the end of the call, the woman from the bank asks, “Will there be any future wires to your friend?”

“Possibly,” the man says.

The recording was first obtained by The Athletic.

The legal filing says Mizuhara accessed Ohtani’s account beginning around November 2021 and changed its security protocols so he could impersonate him to authorize wire transfers. By 2024, Mizuhara allegedly had used that money to buy about $325,000 worth of baseball cards at online resellers eBay and Whatnot.

Mizuhara pleaded guilty in June to spending millions from Ohtani’s Arizona bank account to cover his growing gambling bets and debts with an illegal bookmaker, as well as medical bills and the $325,000 worth of baseball cards.

Mizuhara was there for many of the Japanese sensation’s career highlights: He was Ohtani’s catcher during the Home Run Derby at the 2021 All-Star Game and was also present for his two American League MVP wins and record-shattering $700 million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers. Off the field, he became Ohtani’s friend and confidant.

Mizuhara famously resigned from the Los Angeles Angels during the 2021 MLB lockout so he could keep speaking to Ohtani — he was rehired after a deal was struck — and their wives reportedly socialized.

But he gambled it all away, betting tens of millions of dollars that weren’t his to wager on international soccer, the NBA, the NFL and college football — though prosecutors said he never bet on baseball.

Hallie Golden, The Associated Press