Major League Baseball has announced a formal investigation into Los Angeles Dodger star Shohei Ohtani’s role in the gambling scandal involving his former translator Ibei Mizuhara.
Earlier this week, Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers after it emerged that at least $4.5 million in wire transfers were sent from Ohtani’s bank account to an alleged betting operation under federal investigation.
Things became complicated after Ohtani’s handlers allowed Mizuhara to give an interview to ESPN. In that interview, Mizuhara said Ohtani paid off his translator’s gambling debts through transfers. However, the dealers subsequently denied that interview, and Ohtani’s lawyers said that the lazy player was the victim of a “large-scale theft” of funds.
How this happened remains a mystery.
So far, it appears that law enforcement authorities have not been involved in any investigation. ESPN reports Ohtani’s representatives said Thursday that they have formally made the allegation to law enforcement, but did not cite any authorities. Sources told ESPN that neither the California Bureau of Investigation nor the FBI were working on the case.
Digging further, ESPN reported that the Los Angeles Police Department and the district attorney’s offices in Los Angeles and Orange counties were not investigating, and indicated it was likely a federal matter. The US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California declined to comment.
Ohtani can refuse to cooperate as a member of the MLB Players Association.
MLB said in a statement that its Investigations Division officially began investigating the matter on Friday.
Neither Ohtani nor Mizuhara has been charged with a crime. Ohtani is expected to remain on the Dodgers’ active roster as the league’s investigation unfolds.