As more information surfaces, the extent of Ippei Mizuhara’s deceit towards Shohei Ohtani becomes increasingly evident.
A particular exchange over three days between Mizuhara, a former translator, and his bookmaker highlights the severity of his gambling addiction and his readiness to embezzle from Ohtani.
A 37-page federal criminal complaint filed against 39-year-old Mizuhara on Thursday reveals his methods for pilfering millions from Ohtani. It includes text messages between Mizuhara and the bookmaker he used for placing illegal sports bets.
The texts, detailed on pages 14 through 16 of the complaint, from June 22 to June 24, 2023, capture Mizuhara pleading for increased credit lines from the bookie after suffering substantial losses.
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On June 22, Mizuhara texted, “I got my a– kicked again lol … Any chance I can get one last bump? This will be my last one for a while if I lose it.” He referred to “bump” as a term for additional credit from the sportsbook.
The bookmaker complied, asking in return for a guaranteed minimum of $500,000 in weekly payments.
Following another loss, Mizuhara texted on June 23: “I’m the worst lol … I can’t catch a break. … Can I get one last bump? I swear this is gonna be my last until I get the balance down significantly … I promise this will be the last bump for a while.”
He received a second “last bump” from the bookmaker.
Yet, on June 24, after yet another defeat, Mizuhara admitted to his addiction and pleaded for a “one last last last bump,” which was again granted by the bookmaker.
The depth of Mizuhara’s problem and the extent of his betrayal of Ohtani are laid bare in these exchanges. Describing his actions as merely “a problem” does not fully capture the gravity of his offenses, with the stolen amounts being staggeringly high. The full details of Mizuhara’s texts can be found in the original complaint.
