Baseball star’s interpreter ‘stole millions to cover gambling debts’

Ippei Mizuhara has been charged (Lee Jin-man/AP)

US authorities have charged the former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani with bank fraud, alleging that he stole more than $16 million from the Japanese player to cover gambling bets and debts.

Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, a constant presence beside Ohtani in baseball stadiums across the country since 2018, abused the Los Angeles Dodgers star’s trust and exploited the language barrier to plunder a bank account that only he could access, prosecutors said.