According to the Associated Press, the Internal Revenue Service has confirmed that Ippei Mizuhara, former interpreter for Shohei Ohtani, and Mathew Bowyer, an alleged bookmaker, are now under criminal investigation. This development comes as media organizations have uncovered discrepancies in Mizuhara's background claims, casting doubts on his credibility.

The current situation revolves around a significant sum of money being transferred from Ohtani's accounts to Bowyer. Initially, Mizuhara stated in an interview with ESPN that Ohtani transferred the funds to help him cover his gambling debts out of friendship. However, this story was later retracted, and Ohtani's lawyers now claim that the money was stolen without his knowledge, labeling it as a "massive theft."

Adding to the controversy, Mizuhara's biography stated that he graduated from the University of California-Riverside in 2007. However, NBC Los Angeles reports that there is no record of Mizuhara attending the university in the official database. The university spokesman confirmed, "Our university records do not show a student by the name of Ippei Mizuhara having attended UC Riverside."

Furthermore, claims of Mizuhara working as an interpreter for former pitcher Hideki Okajima are also being dismissed. News reports had cited Mizuhara's work with Okajima during his time with the Boston Red Sox in 2010. However, the Red Sox have explicitly denied these claims, stating, "Mizuhara was never employed by the Boston Red Sox in any capacity and was not an interpreter for Hideki Okajima during the pitcher's time with the team."

Mizuhara's biography also alleges that he served as Okajima's interpreter during the New York Yankees' spring training in 2012. However, Okajima was released by the Yankees before the official start of spring training in February 2012, casting further doubt on Mizuhara's credentials.

The MLB has stated that it is currently investigating the situation. As of now, no one has been charged with any crimes related to these incidents. The discovery of background discrepancies and the ongoing criminal investigation have raised questions about the integrity and credibility of those involved.

It remains to be seen how this situation will unfold and what further developments will arise as the investigations continue.