The Los Angeles Dodgers are awaiting their first home game of the 2024 regular season, eyeing a push through the flurry of news surrounding Shohei Ohtani and former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.
Mizuhara was fired following allegations of theft and illegal gambling activity. Ohtani is caught in the mix because his bank account is tied to a Southern California bookmaker Mathew Bowyer, who is under federal investigation.
Ohtani and his camp have since made an effort to make clear they believe he was a clear victim of theft by Mizuhara. According to Ohtani and his representatives, they reported Mizuhara to law enforcement agencies, but would not confirm which one to Tisha Thompson and Paula Lavigne of ESPN:
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani’s representatives declined again Tuesday to answer ESPN’s questions about which authorities they have contacted to report their allegation of theft against Ohtani’s former interpreter.
Ohtani’s account of the dynamic and alleged activities were read in a prepared statement on Monday, where the MLB star provided his first public comments. ESPN reached out to multiple law enforcement agencies in an attempt to confirm Ohtani reported Mizuhara, but the agencies would not comment:
ESPN received no confirmation from any of the likely local, state or federal agencies that could investigate allegations of theft that they received a report from Ohtani’s camp.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday that it is working with the IRS to investigate Ohtani’s ex-interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, but would not specify whether it was looking into Ohtani’s theft allegation or if it had been contacted by Ohtani’s representatives.
It’s no surprise a law enforcement agency would not comment on an ongoing investigation or confirm why they started it in the first place. The lack of comment from the agencies was to be expected until their investigation is completed.
The situation will continue to unfold, so Ohtani doesn’t have much to gain by lying right now, and he would set himself up for legal troubles, such as defamation, if he isn’t truthful about any of his claims against Mizuhara.
Ohtani is able to remain with the Dodgers during this time, while MLB conducts their own investigation into the matter. The Dodgers open up their domestic start to the regular season on Thursday when they host the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium.
Ippei Mizuhara made it ‘difficult’ to communicate with Shohei Ohtani
Recent comments made by some within the organization, including Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, noted that Mizuhara created a challenging arrangement between them and Ohtani.
The relationship between Ohtani and Mizuhara is a likely factor, Roberts explaining that baseball-related information had to be passed through Mizuhara.
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