Shohei Ohtani, the celebrated player who recently clinched a World Series win and the National League MVP title, is now facing a legal tussle to recover baseball cards worth a staggering $325,000. The cards were unlawfully acquired by his former interpreter and trusted associate, Ippei Mizuhara, who admitted to defrauding Ohtani of almost $17 million earlier this year.
In a bold move, Ohtani has taken his plea to a federal judge at the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, seeking the return of the confiscated sports cards. A pivotal hearing on this matter has been scheduled for December 20 to deliberate on Ohtani’s request for ownership of the seized memorabilia.
The backdrop to this legal showdown lies in Mizuhara’s stunning admission in June, where he confessed to perpetrating bank and tax fraud, including the embezzlement of millions from Ohtani. The fraudulent activities took place between January and March 2024, during which Mizuhara misappropriated funds from Ohtani’s accounts to buy baseball cards from online platforms like eBay and Whatnot, with the intention of profiting from their resale. Ohtani firmly asserts that the cards were procured using his finances and, hence, rightfully belong to him.
In an interesting twist, Ohtani informed the court of the discovery of “a quantity of personally signed collectible baseball cards” bearing his likeness among Mizuhara’s possessions, which were erroneously seized. Ohtani is keen on retrieving these specific items as part of his legal petition.
Court documents outline the confiscated items as follows:
– Collectible sports cards housed in silver and black Panoply cases
– Collectible sports cards stowed in gray Panoply cases
– An assortment of additional collectible sports cards contained in a box
– A device for wrapping cards
– Protective plastic card holders
Mizuhara’s downfall came about due to his unauthorized access to Ohtani’s bank accounts, culminating in a staggering amount of fraud. The Dodgers promptly terminated Mizuhara’s employment in March upon uncovering his deceitful deeds. While Mizuhara’s sentencing was initially slated for October 25, then rescheduled for December 20, it has been postponed once more to January 24.
The upcoming hearing on December 20 will be pivotal in deciding whether Ohtani can reclaim ownership of the confiscated sports cards. This legal skirmish marks another chapter in the aftermath of Mizuhara’s breach of trust, as he betrayed the confidence bestowed upon him by one of baseball’s most illustrious figures, Shohei Ohtani.
