Baseball star Shohei Ohtani wants $325,000 worth of baseball cards from his former translator

Baseball star Shohei Ohtani wants his former translator to turn over hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of baseball cards that he says were fraudulently purchased with his own money.

The Los Angeles Dodgers star also demanded that Ippei Mizuhara, who previously pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud for stealing nearly $17 million from the unsuspecting athlete, return autographed collectible baseball cards depicting Ohtani that were in Mizuhara’s “unauthorized and wrongful possession” It does. Court documents filed Tuesday.

The legal filing alleges that starting in November 2021, Mizuhara accessed Ohtani’s bank account and modified security protocols so he could impersonate her to allow wire transfers. By 2024, Mizuhara had used that money to purchase approximately $325,000 worth of baseball cards from online sellers eBay and Whatnot, according to court documents.

Mizuhara’s attorney, Michael G. Freedman, declined to comment on the case.

Mizuhara pleaded guilty in June to spending millions from Ohtani’s Arizona bank account to cover his growing gambling bets and debts to an illegal bookmaker, as well as his own medical bills and $325,000 worth of baseball cards.

Mizuhara will be sentenced in January after pleading guilty to one count of bank fraud and subscribing to a false tax return, crimes punishable by more than 30 years in federal prison. Ohtani could also be awarded approximately $17 million in damages, as well as more than $1 million in damages to the IRS. And a green card holder can be deported to Japan as a legal permanent resident.

Mizuhara has been by Ohtani’s side during many key moments of the Japanese sensation’s career, from serving as catcher in the Home Run Derby at the 2021 All-Star Game to his two American League MVP wins and his record-breaking $700 million haul. 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Off the court, Mizuhara became Ohtani’s friend and confidant. He famously resigned from the Los Angeles Angels during the 2021 MLB lockout so he could continue talking to Ohtani — he was rehired after a deal was struck — and his wives reportedly socialized.

But Mizuhara gambled, betting tens of millions of dollars that were not his own on international soccer, the NBA, the NFL, and college football; but prosecutors said he never bet on baseball.

Earlier this year, Ohtani and the Dodgers won the World Series and the baseball star earned his third Most Valuable Player award.