The IRS confirmed to the Associated Press on Thursday that Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and his alleged bookmaker Mathew Bowyer are being criminally investigated through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office.
IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard told the AP that he could not provide additional details.
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Following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN on Wednesday about his ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts nearing $4.5 million, Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers. The news broke hours after the Dodgers opened their 2024 season with a 5-2 win over the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea, and Mizuhara reportedly addressed the team in the clubhouse letting them know about the negative news that was going to break.
Will Ireton, the Dodgers current Manager of Performance Operations, will take over as Shohei Ohtani’s translator following the firing of Ohtani’s longtime translator Ippei Mizuhara. Ireton was previously Kenta Maeda’s translator during his time with the Dodgers.
— Doug McKain (@DMAC_LA) March 21, 2024
“In the course of responding to recent media inquiries, we discovered that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft and we are turning the matter over to the authorities,” Ohtani’s law firm, Berk Brettler LLP, said in a statement Wednesday. The firm declined further comment the next day.
Although some forms of sports gambling are legal in 38 states and the District of Columbia, it is illegal in California.
The AP was unable to reach Mizuhara for comment, however, they did speak to Diane Bass who is Bowyer’s attorney. Bass told the AP that Mizuhara never bet on baseball and her client, Bowyer, has not had contact with Ohtani “in any way.”
Mizuhara has been by Ohtani’s side since he arrived in the United States in 2017, serving as his interpreter and companion. He even participated in the 2021 Home Run Derby as Ohtani’s catcher. They originally met when Mizuhara was translating for English-speaking players on Ohtani’s professional team in Japan, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
The 39-year-old was born in Japan and raised in the Los Angeles area, attending Diamond Bar High School and graduating from the University of California, Riverside in 2007.
The Dodgers said in a statement they were “aware of media reports and are gathering information.
“The team can confirm that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara has been terminated,” the statement said. “The team has no further comment at this time.”
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