Federal prosecutors just dropped a bombshell with a nearly four-minute audio recording, and it’s nothing short of wild. The recording allegedly captures Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, attempting to push through a $200,000 wire transfer from one of Ohtani’s accounts—talk about a betrayal of epic proportions. Mizuhara, who once had the trust of one of the biggest names in baseball, now finds himself facing a tough reality.  

The former interpreter pleaded guilty to bank fraud and filing a false tax return, after stealing a jaw-dropping $17 million from Ohtani. Yep, you read that right—$17 million. The Department of Justice wasn’t messing around with this one, and in the latest court filing, they’re recommending a nearly five-year sentence plus restitution. Furthermore, Mizuhara’s life is going to collapse in a major way because sentencing is scheduled for February 6. 

Ippei Mizuhara kept phoning the bank to set up wire transactions in Shohei Ohtani’s name

Ippei Mizuhara attempted to defend his behavior in his own filing. He disclosed a $40.7 million debt resulting from a severe gambling addiction. Although Mizuhara’s plea for a shorter sentence—just 18 months—has some strong competition, prosecutors are arguing for a much heavier 57 months. Jomboy Media has released a snippet of the 4-minute audio clip on X, which details Mizuhara’s plan to get over security procedures, was one of the important pieces of evidence the prosecution had with them. Mizuhara allegedly used a cunning workaround to route Shohei Ohtani’s online account information to his email and phone in order to make repeated calls to the bank to set up wire transfers.  

It resembles a digital theft, and Mizuhara doesn’t appear to have given this one any thought. Mizuhara is facing a substantial reparation demand from the prosecution, which includes approximately $17 million to Ohtani and an additional $1.1 million to the IRS for his dubious activities. In his filing, Mizuhara acknowledged that he is completely unable to repay Ohtani. Mizuhara made a last-ditch attempt to lessen his punishment by saying that he and his wife were unable to work and were depending on his parents for financial support. For a short time, he even attempted to work as an Uber Eats driver, but his job was abruptly terminated after his photo was made public.  

Mizuhara’s story keeps taking turns that are both tragic and frustrating  

In a revealing conversation with a forensic psychologist, Ippei Mizuhara admitted the fallout from his actions has been absolutely brutal—both for him and his family. “This has not been pleasant at all,” he said according to The Athletic, clearly feeling the weight of his choices. According to him, the fallout hit home hard: his mother, a nurse, had to quit her job because she was being harassed, and he and his wife have been stalked and followed. Going out in public has become a risky ordeal. Mizuhara acknowledged that he brought this pain on himself, but that doesn’t make it any easier to deal with.  

Mizuhara’s lawyer points to his lifelong struggle with “gambling dependence,” which he says has been an issue for him since he was 18. The whole situation started small—a $20,000 credit from his bookie—but it quickly spiraled out of control. Mizuhara himself described it as if he was “almost dead inside” during the worst of it, going through the motions of life while still chasing that impossible dream of winning it all back. “I felt really antsy and anxious if I did not have an active bet. I felt pressure to stay in the game.”  

But here’s the hard truth: The cycle didn’t stop. And instead of a redemption arc, Mizuhara’s obsession with the game led him to steal from one of the biggest stars in baseball. It’s clear that his addiction controlled him in ways he couldn’t escape, but that doesn’t change the reality of what he’s done. The impact on Shohei Ohtani, the public shame, and the massive financial loss—those are consequences that can’t just be “bet away.” Mizuhara’s words may show remorse, but the damage he’s done is far from easily undone.