What Is The Next Plan Of Action In Shohei Ohtani’s Gambling Case: Will He Be Charged With The Offence?  

Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani’s longtime translator, was sacked by the Los Angeles Dodgers this week due to contradicting reports regarding money paid for gambling debts. MLB launched an official inquiry into these claims on Friday.

What Is The Next Plan Of Action In Shohei Ohtani’s Gambling Case: Will He Be Charged With The Offence?

In a statement, Commissioner Rob Manfred’s office stated that the league has started the official investigative process through its investigations department. According to press sources, “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations,” the statement stated.

As Ohtani and the Dodgers, along with Mizuhara, were in Seoul for a series against the San Diego Padres to start the season, this crazy scenario was first made public on Wednesday night.

ESPN was informed by numerous sources that Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s longtime friend and interpreter, accrued the gambling debts to a Southern California bookmaking enterprise that is currently the subject of a federal investigation. It all began when reporters began to grill him about the wire transactions.

What Is Ohtani’s Involvement In The Gambling Case?

At first, an Ohtani representative informed ESPN that the slugger had sent the money to pay off Mizuhara’s debt from gambling. In a 90-minute interview with ESPN on Tuesday night, the spokesperson gave Mizuhara the opportunity to thoroughly clarify his story.

According to reports, an Ohtani representative told ESPN such was the case before changing his mind and involving the slugger’s legal team the next day.

It should be mentioned that all parties involved in the story—including Mizuhara and the purportedly illicit bookmaker—have said that Ohtani does not bet. MLB players are permitted to wager on sports other than baseball, provided that they do not do it illegally.

After the Berk Brettler remark, Mizuhara was questioned by ESPN on Wednesday afternoon if he had been accused of stealing. He replied he had been instructed he could not speak, but he would not identify by whom.

According to this representative, Ohtani sent $4.5 million to a bookmaking business to settle Mizuhara’s debts. The network also had a 90-minute conversation with Mizuhara to get more details about the accusations.

“Obviously, he [Ohtani] wasn’t happy about it and said he would help me out to make sure I never do this again,” Mizuhara said. “He decided to pay it off for me.

Is MLB Going To Punish The Dodgers Star Ohtani?

MLB released the following announcement:

“Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media. Earlier today, our Department of Investigations (DOI) began their formal process investigating the matter.”

According to the Times, Ohtani’s name came up during Mathew Bowyer’s inquiry, which is what prompted Ohtani’s lawyers to file the lawsuit against Mizuhara.

“In the course of responding to recent media inquiries, we discovered that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft and we are turning the matter over to the authorities,” said the law firm Berk Brettler in a statement to the newspaper.

That raises different questions about the legal fallout from this betting disaster.

Could Ohtani’s involvement result in criminal charges?

We do know that his name appeared on at least two wire payments totaling $500,000. One of them went to Bowyer. We are unaware of whether Ohtani’s camp performed such moves fraudulently or whether Ohtani made them on purpose, as Mizuhara first alleged.

“The federal government usually doesn’t charge the underlying crime. They don’t charge you with the crime of ‘using an illegal bookie,'” Marcello explains. “What they do instead is almost universally charge wire fraud, bank fraud, tax fraud, things to do with the IRS that encompass the illegal activities.

“You can’t just send $500,000 to a bank account and not report to the IRS. There are all these anti-terrorism and banking laws. I can guarantee it’s a violation of one or multiple of them.”

That raises different questions about the legal fallout from this betting disaster. Could Ohtani’s involvement result in criminal charges?

We do know that his name appeared on at least two wire payments totaling $500,000. One of them went to Bowyer. We are unaware of whether Ohtani’s camp performed such moves fraudulently or whether Ohtani made them on purpose, as Mizuhara first alleged.

“If he did not have intent to be part of a gambling operation, then he’s not part of the conspiracy,” Marcello asserts.

Ohtani would be exempt if he had sent bank transfers without realizing they were being used to pay off gambling debts. This might clarify the abrupt shift in Ohtani’s camp’s story.

“If all of the transactions are consistent with what Ohtani is now saying, which is that he didn’t know what was going on, then it’s probably no problem.”

Marcello says, “That will depend on if there is enough evidence.” “They will see if there’s enough there to bring it to a grand jury, who then decides whether or not to have charges brought against you.”

The degree to which Ohtani’s account corresponds with the facts that the investigators uncover will also influence the possibility that charges will be filed. Thus, don’t anticipate hearing anything further from Ohtani’s team.

“As a criminal defense attorney, we generally say don’t talk at all. The phrase is it can and will be used against you. It doesn’t say for you.”

The course of events will probably take months or years if charges are filed.

Any player, umpire, official of the Club or League, or staff member who wagers with unlicensed bookmakers or their agents will face a punishment determined by the Commissioner based on the specifics of the behavior. The Commissioner shall suspend for at least a year any player, umpire, Club or League official, or employee who manages or works for an illicit bookmaking activity.

For the purposes of this clause, an illegal bookmaker is a person who, as part of a gambling operation that is illegal in the jurisdiction in which the bets are placed, accepts, puts, or handles wagers on sporting events from members of the public.

 

 

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