Dodgers star accused of stealing $16 million from Ohtani translator.

• Allegedly, Ippei Mizuhara stole more than $16 million from Shoehei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers to pay off his gambling debts.

On Thursday, the U.S. attorney's office announced that Ippei Mizuhara, Shoehei Ohtani's former translator, is accused of stealing over $16 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers star to cover his gambling debts.

On Thursday, the office that filed a criminal complaint against Mizuhara stated that Ohtani was not aware of the fraud and is being treated as a victim in the case.

The bets were not placed on baseball games, the office said.

For years, Mizuhara served as Ohtani's translator. During that time, the attorney's office uncovered evidence that Mizuhara had complete access to Ohtani's bank accounts. According to phone records, Mizuhara accessed the accounts online and deceived the bank by pretending to be Ohtani. Despite requests from Ohtani's agent and other advisors, Mizuhara refused to grant access to the accounts.

Martin Estrada, United States attorney, stated that due to his position of trust, he had exclusive access to his finances and he exploited that access to harm Mr. Ohtani.

An investigation into millions of dollars in wire transfers from Ohtani's bank account to an illegal bookmaker has been ongoing for Mizuhara.

The discovery of the Ohtani fraud occurred while the DOJ was investigating illegal bookmakers.

Estrada said Mizuhara kept his winnings in his own bank account.

In California, although sports gambling is legal in 38 states and Washington, D.C., some bettors have turned to illegal operations due to its prohibition.

In a March 25 press conference, Ohtani stated that he had recently discovered the theft and felt saddened, shocked, and betrayed by someone he had trusted.

Ohtani stated that he has never placed a bet on baseball or any other sport, nor has he ever asked someone to do it on his behalf.

Mizuhara initially claimed that Ohtani was aware of his debts and assisted him in repaying them. However, he later retracted those statements.

In the next couple of days, Mizuhara will appear in court and could receive a maximum sentence of 30 years for the charges.

The 29-year old Japanese born pitcher, Ohtahni, is one of the biggest stars in the MLB. He joined the Dodgers on Dec. 9 with a 10-year, $700 million contract after six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels.

The only MLB player to win the American League MVP by unanimous vote twice and the first Japanese-born player to lead the major league in home runs is Ohtani.

If Ohtani was discovered to be involved in gambling on baseball, it would be a violation of Major League Baseball's gambling policy, which prohibits players from betting on baseball in any form. The consequences could range from a season-long suspension to being permanently ineligible.