Shohei Ohtani, the star of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has filed a request with a federal judge for ownership of $325,000 worth of baseball cards that he claims were fraudulently purchased by his former interpreter, as reported by The Athletic.
In California on Tuesday, Ohtani requested a hearing to reclaim possession of sports cards that were confiscated from Ippei Mizhura. Mizhura had pleaded guilty to defrauding Ohtani of nearly $17 million in a scandal that garnered significant attention leading up to the recent baseball season.
During the period between January and March of 2024, Mizuhara reportedly bought baseball cards online with the intention of reselling them. Ohtani asserts that the cards were purchased using his funds and is seeking their return from the authorities who seized them during Mizuhara’s arrest. Additionally, Ohtani is seeking the return of personally signed collectible baseball cards featuring his image that were in Mizuhara’s possession at the time of the seizure.
Mizuhara confessed to embezzling almost $17 million from Ohtani to settle sports betting debts earlier this year. He could face a maximum sentence of 33 years in prison and is scheduled to appear in court for sentencing in January. Mizuhara had been Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and financial liaison since Ohtani’s move to the United States in 2018.
Prosecutors revealed that Mizuhara made approximately 25 bets per day with an average wager of $12,800 from December 2021 to January 2024, resulting in a total loss of around $40.7 million. With access to Ohtani’s bank accounts, Mizuhara misappropriated millions to address his debts. Mizuhara was dismissed by the Dodgers earlier this year, and Ohtani has consistently denied any knowledge of the situation. He cooperated with the investigation and stressed that he never engaged in sports betting and was unaware of Mizuhara’s theft.
Earlier this fall, Ohtani and the Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees to secure the World Series title. Despite not pitching due to recovering from elbow surgery during his time with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani clinched his third MVP award after the season. As the Dodgers’ full-time designated hitter, Ohtani made history by becoming the first player in MLB to achieve 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. Ohtani is anticipated to return to the pitching mound in the upcoming season.