Shohei Ohtani, the renowned baseball sensation who recently triumphed in the World Series and clinched the National League MVP title with the Los Angeles Dodgers, is embroiled in a legal battle to retrieve valuable baseball cards worth $325,000. These cards were unlawfully obtained by his former interpreter and trusted ally, Ippei Mizuhara, who admitted earlier this year to defrauding Ohtani of close to $17 million.
In response to this deception, Ohtani has taken decisive action by filing a petition with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. His objective is to reclaim ownership of the sports cards that were seized from Mizuhara by law enforcement authorities. A significant development in this case is the scheduling of a hearing on December 20 to address Ohtani’s petition.
The background to this saga of fraud reveals Mizuhara’s guilt in June when he confessed to engaging in bank and tax fraud, ultimately confessing to embezzling millions from Ohtani. During the period between January and March of 2024, Mizuhara misappropriated funds from Ohtani’s account to acquire baseball cards through platforms like eBay and Whatnot, with the intention of profiting from their resale. Ohtani maintains that since the cards were purchased using his funds, they rightfully belong to him.
Furthermore, Ohtani has informed the court that a collection of personally autographed baseball cards bearing his image was discovered among Mizuhara’s possessions and wrongly included in the seized items. Consequently, Ohtani is also seeking the return of these specific cards through his legal petition.
Specific details outlined in court documents about the seized items include various collectible sports cards stored in silver and black Panoply cases, as well as gray Panoply cases. Moreover, a box containing additional collectible sports cards, a card wrapping device, and plastic card protector holders were among the seized possessions listed.
Mizuhara’s downfall originated from his unauthorized access to Ohtani’s bank account, leading to his dismissal by the Dodgers in March upon the exposure of his illicit activities. Initially, Mizuhara’s sentencing was planned for October 25 but was rescheduled to December 20, only to be postponed once more to January 24.
The upcoming hearing on December 20 will play a pivotal role in determining whether Ohtani will successfully reclaim ownership of the confiscated sports cards. This legal process signifies another chapter in the aftermath of Mizuhara’s deception and breach of trust towards one of baseball’s most illustrious figures, Shohei Ohtani.