Shohei Ohtani Officially Cleared? Ippei Mizuhara Faces Charges in $16 Million Theft

Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ superstar can finally heave a sigh of relief. The federal authorities have revealed with clarity that he was nothing more than a victim. This alleged embezzlement by his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara had unfortunately dragged him into the shocking case. But now, everything is business as usual for the two-way phenomenon. 

It all started like a Hollywood plot gone wrong. When Mizuhara, who served as Ohtani’s interpreter since 2018, allegedly leveraged his so-called loyalty and position of trust to pull off a $16 million heist, Ohtani was completely kept in the dark. Though this involved the 29-year-old player’s bank account, the prosecutors believe the Japanese star was not an accomplice. So amid a flurry of doubt and rumors, is this finally the moment for Ohtani’s freedom from the noise?  

One of The Toughest Chapters of Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara’s Life Is Coming To a Close 

One damning piece of evidence came from text messages that the government obtained. This was a message to his bookmaker and in that, Mizuhara reportedly admitted, “Technically, I did steal from him.” This is a massive grave that Ippei dug for himself. Additionally, due to the lack of evidence on Ohtani’s phone regarding gambling activity, it can be strongly suggested that the interpreter is the only protagonist in this entire fiasco. 

Federal authorities have been unwavering in their stance. They urged that Ohtani is a victim.  The investigation further unveiled that he was completely unaware of the unauthorized access to his account. Might it be that this further solidifies his innocence? The latest update is that investigators found no trace of gambling activity on Ohtani’s phone.

There are talks that Mizuhara would be surrendering to authorities shortly. A guilty plea could result in a lighter sentence, however, the outcome of this plea could be severe. Up to 30 years in prison. Major League Baseball is also in the midst of their investigation to take some action. An added layer here is that the commissioner of MLB is leaning heavily toward declaring Ohtani exonerated.

(Lack of) Evidence Clears the Polluted Air of Conspiracy Theories

On one hand, some might find it tough to wrap their head around the idea that Ohtani was completely unaware. Nevertheless, the evidence presented by the government strongly indicates that he was oblivious to a great extent until things got out of hand. Blame the trust he had in Ippei. 

Social media is currently abuzz with conspiracy theories. But the exchange of tests and absence of any gambling activity on Ohtani’s phone only speak one thing. For Ohtani, this ordeal might be coming to an end.