Audio reveals ex-interpreter impersonating LA Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani 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 $17m from the Los Angeles Dodgers star.
Mizuhara is due to be sentenced on 6 February after pleading guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return.
Prosecutors are also seeking restitution of the nearly $17m to Ohtani, as well as a penalty of more than $1m to the IRS.
In the recording, a man is heard identifying himself as Ohtani and saying that he tried to log into online banking but it wasn’t available.
