Shohei Ohtani’s Betting Scandal: A $325,000 Twist That Rises Concern
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is reportedly seeking legal help in order to acquire ownership of baseball cards bought by Ippei Mizuhara, according to Noah Furtado and Evan Drellich of The Athletic.
“Shohei Ohtani petitioned a federal judge this week for ownership of $325,000 worth of baseball cards fraudulently purchased by Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter and confidant who pleaded guilty earlier this year to defrauding Ohtani of nearly $17 million,” The Athletic’s report read.
It can be recalled that Shohei Ohtani got dragged into a controversy in the previous offseason when it was discovered that Mizuhara stole millions from the former American League Most Valuable Player to fund gambling activities.
It was also later conveyed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California that Mizuhara used the money he got by illegally accessing Ohtani’s bank account to purchase “approximately 1,000 baseball cards – at a cost of approximately $325,000″ from eBay and Whatnot. That activity happened from January 2024 to March 2024.
Furthermore, Ohtani is said to have asked the court to help him obtain collectible baseball cards with his image and signature which were among the items seized from Mizuhara.
“In addition, Ohtani wrote to the court that ‘a quantity of personally signed collectible baseball cards’ with his image were wrongly in Mizuhara’s possession when they were seized, and he seeks their return as well.”
Shohei Ohtani had a stellar 2024 MLB season despite Ippei Mizuhara controversy
Ohtani’s first season with the Dodgers was a huge success. He had never played a single playoff game in the big leagues before he inked a staggering 10-year deal with Los Angeles that was worth $700 million.
But in 2024, Ohtani immediately reached the top of the baseball world by winning a World Series with the National League division powerhouse. In his first season with the Dodgers, the former Los Angeles Angels star hit .310/.390/.646 with 54 home runs and 130 RBIs across 135 games and 731 plate appearances.
