Recording Captured Ex-interpreter Impersonating Ohtani to Transfer $200,000, Prosecutors Say

Recording Captured Ex-interpreter Impersonating Ohtani to Transfer $200,000, Prosecutors Say
Ippei Mizuhara, left, stands next to Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani, right, during an interview at Dodger Stadium, Feb. 3, 2024. ichard Vogel/AP Photo/
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A nearly four-minute audio recording allegedly captured Shohei Ohtani ’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara impersonating the baseball star on a call with a bank as he attempted to transfer $200,000 for what he describes as a car loan, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

The recording referenced in a court filing and obtained by The Associated Press is being used to back up prosecutors’ push for a nearly five-year sentence for Mizuhara, who previously pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud for stealing almost $17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers star.