Shohei Ohtani, the MLB superstar fresh off a triumphant World Series win and a remarkable National League MVP season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, is now embroiled in a legal battle to retrieve $325,000 worth of baseball cards that were unscrupulously bought by his former interpreter and close aide, Ippei Mizuhara. This saga began earlier this year when Mizuhara admitted to defrauding Ohtani of nearly $17 million.
In a recent development, Ohtani has taken his case to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, filing a formal request to reclaim the sports cards that were seized from Mizuhara by authorities. A crucial hearing regarding this matter has been scheduled for December 20 to address Ohtani’s plea for ownership of the confiscated memorabilia.
The backdrop of this legal tussle delves into Mizuhara’s confessed involvement in bank and tax fraud, where he confessed to embezzling millions from Ohtani. The fraudulent scheme orchestrated by Mizuhara spanned from January to March 2024, during which he siphoned funds from Ohtani’s accounts to make illicit purchases of baseball cards from online platforms like eBay and Whatnot, with the intention of turning a profit. Ohtani maintains that these cards were purchased using his money and thus rightfully belong to him.
Amplifying his argument, Ohtani disclosed to the court the discovery of “a quantity of personally signed collectible baseball cards” featuring his likeness among Mizuhara’s possessions, erroneously caught up in the confiscation. Consequently, Ohtani is earnestly seeking the return of these cards as part of his legal petition.
The seized items, as detailed in court filings, comprise collectible sports cards housed in silver and black Panopply cases, gray Panopply cases, a box containing additional collectible sports cards, a card wrapping device, and plastic card protector holders. These possessions are at the center of the dispute between Ohtani and Mizuhara’s proceedings.
Mizuhara’s downfall stemmed from his illicit access to Ohtani’s bank accounts, leading to the revelation of his duplicitous actions and subsequent termination by the Dodgers in March. Initially slated for sentencing on October 25, which was later rescheduled to December 20, Mizuhara’s sentencing has now been postponed once more to January 24, shedding light on the complexity and gravity of the charges against him.
Looking ahead, the December 20 hearing holds the key to determining whether Ohtani will succeed in reclaiming ownership of the confiscated sports cards. This legal confrontation serves as the latest chapter in the aftermath of Mizuhara’s breach of trust and deception towards one of baseball’s brightest stars, Shohei Ohtani.
