Ippei Mizuhara, the ex-interpreter for Shohei Ohtani, pretended to be the Dodgers superstar in a call to a bank as he attempted to get a $200,000 wire transfer cleared from one of the ballplayers accounts, new audio revealed. an audio clip from the Justice Department that had been referenced in a court filing in which federal prosecutors recommended Mizuhara be sentenced to nearly five years in prison and pay restitution. Mizuhara pled guilty to Trevor Megill Jersey charges of bank fraud and filing a false tax return after he had stolen roughly $17 million from Ohtani to cover gambling debts. Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani, right, and his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, attend at a news conference ahead of a baseball workout at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, March 16, 2024. AP The audio recording had been obtained from the bank and showed how Mizuhara had gotten around the banks security measures by having Ohtanis bank information routed to Mizuharas email and phone. The clip begins with the person asking who they are speaking with, to which Mizuhara replies, Shohei Ohtani. Explore More Mizuhara went on to explain that he was having an i sue logging onto the online banking system and after going through the security procedures, the bank agent informed the pretend Ohtani that the bank had noticed a trend of fraud and scams which had put it on alert for online transactions. The agent then proceeded to ask the reason for the transaction, to which Mizuhara replied that it was for a car loan. After telling the agent that the payee was my friend, he tells the bank employee that he has met the friend in person many times. Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts during the World Series. Jason Szenes / New York Post Will there be any future wires to your friend? the bank agent asked. Uh, po sibly, he responded. Mizuhara will be sentenced on Feb. 6. Prosecutors are expecting Mizuhara to cite his addiction to gambling as the reason why he stole nearly $17 million from his former friend. Ippei Mizuhara, left, stands next to Los Angeles Dodgers baseball player Shohei Ohtani, right, during an interview at Dodger Stadium, Feb. 3, 2024. AP Even if defendant is addicted to gambling, it cannot fully explain defendants conduct because defendant used the stolen funds for numerous personal expenses that had nothing to do with gambling, a sistant U.S. attorney Jeff Mitchell wrote in a court filing viewed by The Athletic. Ultimately, the government submits, the motivating factor behind defendants crimes was not a gambling addiction but rather greed. Carlos Rodriguez Jersey