Mizuhara made a court appearance in Los Angeles, where he was seen with shackles around his ankles that were later removed during the hearing. He was released on $25,000 bond but will face several conditions, including inability to contact Ohtani, restrictions on leaving the central district of California without permission, and required participation in a gamblers addiction program.

The charges filed against Mizuhara include bank fraud, as he allegedly made unauthorized transfers from Ohtani's account between November 2021 and January 2024 to settle his gambling debts with an illegal bookmaker. Mizuhara reportedly even called the bank and falsely identified himself as Ohtani to deceive the employees into authorizing the wire transfers to associates of the illegal gambling operation.

According to a report by The New York Times, Mizuhara was in negotiations to plead guilty to the theft charges. If convicted of bank fraud, he could face a maximum fine of up to $1 million and/or up to 30 years in federal prison.

MLB released a statement acknowledging the charges against Mizuhara and confirming Ohtani as a victim of fraud. The investigation found no evidence that Ohtani authorized betting with an illegal bookmaker or that Mizuhara engaged in any betting on baseball.

An affidavit reveals that Mizuhara wired more than $16 million of unauthorized transfers from Ohtani's bank account using devices and IP addresses connected to him. Mizuhara had assisted Ohtani in opening the bank account in Arizona in 2018, which received Ohtani's MLB salary. However, Ohtani stated that he never gave Mizuhara control over his financial accounts.

Text messages obtained in the investigation indicate that Mizuhara started changing the contact information on Ohtani's bank account after suffering significant losses from gambling with an illegal sports book. This allowed him to link the account to his own phone number and an anonymous email address associated with him.

In addition to the alleged theft, Mizuhara is also accused of purchasing approximately 1,000 baseball cards worth approximately $325,000 through online platforms under an alias and having them sent to himself and the Dodgers' clubhouse.

Ohtani denied authorizing the wire transfers during an interview with investigators and provided his cell phone as evidence of his non-involvement in Mizuhara's illegal activities.

The investigation into Mizuhara's actions was a collaborative effort led by the Internal Revenue Service's criminal division in Los Angeles, the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. Prosecutors have found evidence suggesting that Mizuhara may have stolen more than the initially reported $4.5 million.

The initial allegations against Mizuhara emerged while the Dodgers were in South Korea for the team's season-opening series against the San Diego Padres. Mizuhara was confronted by law enforcement officials upon his return to California, although he was not immediately arrested.