Shohei Ohtani, the star player who recently secured a World Series triumph and claimed the National League MVP title with the Los Angeles Dodgers, is now tangled in a legal tussle to retrieve $325,000 worth of baseball cards that were deceitfully acquired by his former interpreter and close aide, Ippei Mizuhara. Mizuhara fell into disgrace earlier this year after admitting to duping Ohtani of nearly $17 million.
In a recent development, Ohtani has taken his plea to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, urging a federal judge to grant him possession of the sports cards that were confiscated from Mizuhara by authorities. A hearing on this contentious issue has been scheduled for December 20.
The Backstory on the Fraud reveals that Mizuhara confessed in June to engaging in bank and tax fraud, where he confessed to siphoning off millions from Ohtani. During the period between January and March 2024, Mizuhara utilized funds from Ohtani’s account to make purchases of baseball cards through online platforms like eBay and Whatnot, with the intention to resell them for profit. Ohtani firmly asserts that these cards were procured using his money and hence rightfully belong to him.
In a compelling addition to the case, Ohtani brought to the attention of the court that a batch of personally autographed collectible baseball cards featuring his image was among the articles discovered in Mizuhara’s possession and were wrongly seized as well. Ohtani is thus requesting their prompt return as part of his formal petition.
The inventory of the Seized Items is meticulously detailed in court documents, which include various collectible sports cards stocked in silver and black Panoply cases, gray Panoply cases, an assortment of additional sports cards in a box, a card wrapping device, and plastic card protector holders.
Mizuhara’s downfall was sealed by his cunning embezzlement scheme that involved illicitly accessing Ohtani’s bank account. The Dodgers terminated Mizuhara’s employment in March upon uncovering his fraudulent activities. Initially set for sentencing on October 25 and then rescheduled to December 20, Mizuhara’s hearing date has been further postponed to January 24.
Looking ahead, the forthcoming hearing on December 20 will play a pivotal role in determining whether Ohtani can reclaim ownership of the seized sports cards. This legal maneuver signifies another consequential chapter in the aftermath of Mizuhara betraying the trust bestowed upon him by one of baseball’s most illustrious figures.
