Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has requested a federal choose for possession of $325,000 price of baseball playing cards that he mentioned have been fraudulently bought by his former interpreter, according to The Athletic.
Ohtani requested a federal choose in California on Tuesday for a listening to to regain possession of sports activities playing cards that have been seized from Ippei Mizhura, who pleaded guilty to defrauding Ohtani out of practically $17 million in a large scandal that dominated the weeks main as much as the season this previous spring.
Between January and March of 2024, per the report, Mizuhara bought baseball playing cards on-line with the intent to resell them. Ohtani mentioned that they have been bought together with his cash, and he needs these again from authorities who seized the playing cards once they arrested Mizuhara. Ohtani additionally requested for “a amount of personally signed collectible baseball playing cards” together with his picture again that have been in Mizuhara’s possession once they have been seized by authorities.
Mizuhara admitted to stealing almost $17 million from Ohtani to repay sports activities betting money owed earlier this yr. He’s facing up to 33 years in prison as a result. He’s due again in court docket in January for sentencing. He was Ohtani’s longtime interpreter, and in addition acted as his monetary level individual when Ohtani moved to the US in 2018.
Mizuhara averaged roughly 25 bets per day with a median wager of $12,800 from Dec. 2021 by means of January 2024, prosecutors mentioned. He misplaced roughly $40.7 million whole. With entry to Ohtani’s financial institution accounts, Mizuhara stole hundreds of thousands to attempt to pay that debt off. The Dodgers fired Mizuhara earlier this yr, and Ohtani has long denied knowledge of any of this. He cooperated with investigators, and insisted that he by no means guess on any sports activities and wasn’t conscious that Mizuhara was stealing from him.
Ohtani and the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees to win the World Series earlier this fall. Ohtani unanimously won his third career MVP award after the season, too, regardless of not pitching as soon as whereas recovering from elbow surgical procedure he underwent on the finish of his time with the Los Angeles Angels. Because the Dodgers’ full-time DH, Ohtani turned the primary participant in MLB historical past to hit 50 residence runs and steal 50 bases in a single season. Ohtani is anticipated to take the mound once more subsequent season.
