|
Post by ematz1423 on Mar 27, 2024 11:21:02 GMT -5
True, doubt they would get very far without Ohtani's cooperation but there is still the trail of the wires to what I understand was an illegal book maker unless I read incorrectly there which is possible.
No matter what happens it just seems to get more and more bizarre as more is reported. Hopefully they get to the bottom of it as it's kind of fascinating to me and I'm curious to know what actually happened. This will make a very interesting ESPN 30 for 30 down the road.
|
|
|
Post by julyanmorley on Mar 27, 2024 11:27:36 GMT -5
I've never heard of anyone getting prosecuted for betting with a bookie and I spent a decade as a professional gambler. Gamblers splash around giant transfers to loan money or cover debts in ways that may technically violate some financial reporting requirement but I've never heard of anyone getting in trouble over that.
|
|
|
Post by asm18 on Apr 10, 2024 19:56:54 GMT -5
www.nytimes.com/2024/04/10/business/shohei-ohtani-ippei-mizuhara-plea.html“Those briefed on the matter claim that prosecutors have uncovered evidence that Mizuhara may have stolen more money from Ohtani than the $4.5 million he was initially accused of pilfering, the people said. In particular, the authorities think they have evidence that Mizuhara was able to change the settings on Ohtani’s bank account so Ohtani would not receive alerts and confirmations about transactions, the three people said.” Thaaaaat explains a lot
|
|
cdj
Veteran
Posts: 14,020
|
Post by cdj on Apr 10, 2024 21:48:02 GMT -5
www.nytimes.com/2024/04/10/business/shohei-ohtani-ippei-mizuhara-plea.html“Those briefed on the matter claim that prosecutors have uncovered evidence that Mizuhara may have stolen more money from Ohtani than the $4.5 million he was initially accused of pilfering, the people said. In particular, the authorities think they have evidence that Mizuhara was able to change the settings on Ohtani’s bank account so Ohtani would not receive alerts and confirmations about transactions, the three people said.” Thaaaaat explains a lot Still wanna find the bookie that will allow that much debt from a translator to go uncollected. Perhaps they just assumed Shohei has the guy living more lavishly than he himself lives
|
|
|
Post by Chris Hatfield on Apr 11, 2024 7:29:52 GMT -5
www.nytimes.com/2024/04/10/business/shohei-ohtani-ippei-mizuhara-plea.html“Those briefed on the matter claim that prosecutors have uncovered evidence that Mizuhara may have stolen more money from Ohtani than the $4.5 million he was initially accused of pilfering, the people said. In particular, the authorities think they have evidence that Mizuhara was able to change the settings on Ohtani’s bank account so Ohtani would not receive alerts and confirmations about transactions, the three people said.” Thaaaaat explains a lot Still wanna find the bookie that will allow that much debt from a translator to go uncollected. Perhaps they just assumed Shohei has the guy living more lavishly than he himself lives I mean, given the number of people here who didn't believe Ohtani wasn't involved would it be crazy to think that the bookie might've thought similar?
|
|
cdj
Veteran
Posts: 14,020
|
Post by cdj on Apr 11, 2024 7:42:22 GMT -5
Still wanna find the bookie that will allow that much debt from a translator to go uncollected. Perhaps they just assumed Shohei has the guy living more lavishly than he himself lives I mean, given the number of people here who didn't believe Ohtani wasn't involved would it be crazy to think that the bookie might've thought similar? Very good and fair point
|
|
|
Post by redsoxfan2 on Apr 11, 2024 8:52:00 GMT -5
Still wanna find the bookie that will allow that much debt from a translator to go uncollected. Perhaps they just assumed Shohei has the guy living more lavishly than he himself lives I mean, given the number of people here who didn't believe Ohtani wasn't involved would it be crazy to think that the bookie might've thought similar? Yeah, but we're just on the sidelines who know nothing of the situation. This is someone who knew an athlete would be doing something illegal while having debt worth millions of dollars. For my own sanity I'd have wanted at least one form of verification, but I'm assuming the fact that he had access to Ohtani's accounts and was wiring directly from it was probably enough "evidence" for the bookie.
|
|
|
Post by incandenza on Apr 11, 2024 9:05:19 GMT -5
I assume the bookie's thought process was not "Well, this translator is stealing millions from a high-profile athlete and losing it to me but I'm sure this'll all work out in the end without anyone finding out." Mizuhara must have convinced the bookie he was making bets on behalf of Ohtani, right?
|
|
|
Post by asm18 on Apr 11, 2024 9:21:56 GMT -5
It's a certain level of recklessness to steal from your boss, but I assume Ippei thought he would win big, and then be able to return the money he stole without Shohei being any the wiser? If Shohei had himself a championship ring, Ippei probably would have tried to pawn it off like Adam Sandler did to Kevin Garnett in Uncut Gems.
|
|
|
Post by 0ap0 on Apr 11, 2024 11:59:37 GMT -5
It's a certain level of recklessness to steal from your boss... But that's a gamble he was willing to take...
|
|
|
Post by vermontsox1 on Apr 11, 2024 12:45:55 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by scottysmalls on Apr 11, 2024 12:49:44 GMT -5
Imagine being so rich that you don’t even know $16m was transferred from your account
|
|
|
Post by redsoxfan2 on Apr 11, 2024 12:51:41 GMT -5
I wish I could not notice 16 million disappearing from my account.
|
|
|
Post by julyanmorley on Apr 11, 2024 15:14:17 GMT -5
Feds seem to be making a point of trying to clear Ohtani's name
|
|
|
Post by orion09 on Apr 11, 2024 16:24:22 GMT -5
It seems like there’s a fair amount of evidence that supports the story that Ippei was actually stealing, rather than being some kind of fall guy proxy for Ohtani. He posed as Ohtani on multiple phone calls. He also set up Ohtani’s bank account in 2018, refused to grant access to his agents or accountant, and transferred any the profits to his own personal account.
|
|
cdj
Veteran
Posts: 14,020
|
Post by cdj on Apr 12, 2024 11:41:58 GMT -5
Perhaps Shohei is just really dumb/naive after all
|
|
|
Post by kman22 on Apr 12, 2024 11:46:18 GMT -5
Or really smart in that he was having some else literally do everything for him, so he's safe from any potential consequences.
Maybe he was involved, maybe he wasn't, but the Verlander victory lap is funny to me either way.
|
|
nomar
Veteran
Posts: 10,793
|
Post by nomar on Apr 12, 2024 11:54:29 GMT -5
This screams fall guy to me
|
|
|
Post by incandenza on Apr 12, 2024 12:06:31 GMT -5
Well I've seen enough Coen Brothers movies to know that Ohtani being totally naive/oblivious and Mizuhara telling incredible lies that would lead to him inevitably being caught and the bookie taking on millions illicitly from Ohtani's account and expecting everything to work out is all totally plausible.
|
|
|
Post by asm18 on Apr 12, 2024 12:31:08 GMT -5
The fall guy stuff seemed a lot more feasible before these new details came out, and when it was just the MLB "investigating" the involvement of arguably their most valuable employee/consumer product. This is coming from the Feds.
Like how plausible is it that Shohei went to Ippei and was like, "Hey I need you to impersonate me on the phone with my bank and hide all financial transaction notifications from me, so on the off-chance that if anyone ever finds out out my degenerate gambling, I can say that you stole $16 million dollars from me, for which you will then plead guilty"?
|
|
|
Post by James Dunne on Apr 12, 2024 12:43:21 GMT -5
The fall guy stuff seemed a lot more feasible before these new details came out, and when it was just the MLB "investigating" the involvement of arguably their most valuable employee/consumer product. This is coming from the Feds. Like how plausible is it that Shohei went to Ippei and was like, "Hey I need you to impersonate me on the phone with my bank and hide all financial transaction notifications from me, so on the off-chance that if anyone ever finds out out my degenerate gambling, I can say that you stole $16 million dollars from me, for which you will then plead guilty"? Agree 100%. I think that was a very reasonable conclusion when the story broke, and one that no longer makes any sense as more details have emerged. Pretty clear that Ohtani is the victim here, and I'm actually a little uncomfortable with the way some people seem to want to believe that isn't the case.
|
|
|
Post by bg23 on Apr 12, 2024 13:00:23 GMT -5
The simple fact that the winnings were going to Ippei's account rather than back into Ohtani's account should quell the suspicions that Ippei is just the fall guy for Ohtani. Add all of the other details coming out from the Feds investigation and there are a lot of hoops to jump through to continue to believe Ohtani is anything more than a victim (and seemingly pretty financially irresponsible).
|
|