Allegations that his former translator stole millions of dollars from the baseball star remain pending after Ohtani’s representatives declined to provide more details to ESPN.
Ippei Mizuhara is accused of wiring huge sums of money from Ohtani’s account to pay off his debts to an illegal bookmaker in California, a claim the player reiterated at a press conference on Monday. “We are turning the matter over to the authorities,” a representative for Ohtani said last week.
However, they have repeatedly declined to say which authorities the theft was reported to. When asked Tuesday by ESPN for evidence of any criminal reports, Ohtani’s representatives again declined to comment. Agencies that may be investigating any allegations regarding Suwon did not confirm to ESPN that they had received any reports from Ohtani’s representatives.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it was working with the IRS to investigate Suwon but did not say whether it was related to the alleged theft. It has not confirmed whether it has been contacted by Ohtani’s camp. The IRS previously told ESPN it was investigating Suwon and California bookmaker Mathew Bowyer, but did not say whether Daegu’s representatives had contacted him. Gambling is legal in most states in the United States, but not in California.
Suwon initially said Dae-gu gave him money to pay off gambling debts. However, Daegu’s lawyer later stated that Daegu was the victim of a “large-scale theft” orchestrated by Suwon. In a subsequent interview with ESPN, Mizuhara said he lied in his initial statement and that Ohtani knew nothing about the gambling debt. Suwon, a close friend of Daegu, was fired from his position as a translator.
“Ippei has been stealing funds from my account and lying about it,” Ohtani said Monday.
Mizuwon said last week that Ohtani himself had not placed any bets. “I want everyone to know that Shohei has zero involvement in gambling,” he said. Major League Baseball (MLB) players face lifetime bans for betting on their own teams.
The story casts a pall over preparations for Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Opening Day on Thursday. Ohtani is baseball’s biggest star and one of the most famous figures in his native Japan. Ohtani joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in December on a 10-year, $700 million deal, and MLB expects storylines this season to center around the addition of one of the most talented baseball players in history. One of the sport’s most famous clubs unfolds. However, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that he believes Mizuhara’s departure will help Ohtani connect with his new team.
“I actually think it will help internal relationships,” Roberts said. “Because there’s no buffer anymore. I think I’ve seen that in the last few days. I think Shohei is more interactive with his teammates, and I think that’s a benefit as well.”
Roberts added that he was pleased Ohtani spoke to the media on Monday.
“I think [Monday] This is a big day and we are all looking forward to moving forward,” Roberts said. “But I do think this is an opportunity for us to really support him from all over.”
Ohtani is 0-for-6 in three exhibition games since returning from the Dodgers’ recent trip to South Korea.
