Federal authorities have cleared Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani in the gambling scandal involving his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.
Nonetheless, Ohtani is still poised to suffer significant losses due to the controversy.
Reports indicate that Mizuhara allegedly embezzled over $16 million from the bank account of the reigning American League Most Valuable Player, far more than the initial accusation of $4.5 million.
Investigations have unveiled no evidence of any wagers on baseball in the records seized by the government.
Approximately 19,000 bets were made by the disgraced interpreter, with an average wager of $12,800.
The total losses from these bets amounted to a staggering $182.9 million, while the total winnings reached $142.2 million, resulting in a net loss of $40.7 million.
In 2021, Mizuhara began placing sports bets using Ohtani's money with bookmakers associated with an illicit gambling enterprise.
However, the winnings from these bets were not deposited into Ohtani's account but instead were directed to Mizuhara's personal account.
Ippei Mizuhara admits stealing Shohei Ohtani's money
As news of the scandal emerged, Mizuhara confessed to stealing Ohtani's funds during a conversation with a bookmaker.
"Technically I did steal from him. It's all over for me," Mizuhara said in a text message.
If found guilty of bank fraud, the 39-year-old could be sentenced to a maximum of 30 years in prison.
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