Shohei Ohtani, the stellar talent fresh off a spectacular World Series win and a National League MVP season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, finds himself embroiled in a legal tussle seeking the return of his prized baseball cards. These collectibles, valued at $325,000, were fraudulently purchased by his former interpreter and trusted confidant, Ippei Mizuhara, who pleaded guilty earlier this year to defrauding Ohtani of nearly $17 million.
The petition was filed by Ohtani in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Tuesday, signaling his intent to reclaim ownership of the sports cards confiscated from Mizuhara by the authorities. A crucial hearing on this matter has been granted and is scheduled for December 20.
Delving into the background of the fraud, Mizuhara confessed in June to bank and tax fraud, revealing the extent of his deception towards Ohtani. During the period between January and March 2024, Mizuhara utilized funds from Ohtani’s account to make purchases of baseball cards on various platforms like eBay and Whatnot, with the intention of turning a profit on resale. Ohtani firmly maintains that these cards were bought using his money and therefore rightfully belong to him.
Further complicating the situation, Ohtani informed the court that a collection of personally signed collectible baseball cards featuring his image was discovered among Mizuhara’s possessions and mistakenly seized. As a result, Ohtani is earnestly seeking their return as an integral part of his plea to the court.
An itemized list of the seized possessions includes collectible sports cards stored meticulously in silver and black Panoply cases, gray Panoply cases, an additional box filled with collectible sports cards, a card wrapping device, and plastic card protector holders.
The downfall of Mizuhara underscores a sordid tale of betrayal and financial misconduct. His illicit actions involved gaining unauthorized access to Ohtani’s bank account, which ultimately led to his dismissal from the Dodgers in March once the extent of his fraudulent activities came to light. Despite the initially scheduled sentencing date of October 25 being postponed to December 20, it has now been further delayed to January 24.
Looking ahead, the crucial hearing set for December 20 will play a pivotal role in determining whether Ohtani can successfully reclaim ownership of the confiscated sports cards. This legal maneuver represents another significant chapter in the aftermath of Mizuhara’s blatant abuse of trust towards one of baseball’s most prominent figures, Shohei Ohtani.
