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Money allegedly stolen from Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani by his interpreter and longtime friend Ippei Mizuhara was funneled to an illegal bookmaker through casinos in California and Las Vegas, reports ESPN. Mizuhara is alleged to have stolen more than $16 million from Ohtani through a series of $500,000 wire transfers over a period of several years. Here are more details from ESPN: The series of $500,000 payments Ippei Mizuhara sent from Shohei Ohtani's bank account to an illegal bookmaking operation were forwarded to California and Las Vegas casinos, where the money was deposited in gambling accounts, converted to playing chips and later cashed out to pay the bookie, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the operation told ESPN. ... Mathew Bowyer, the California bookmaker who took Mizuhara's bets, was a frequent customer at Las Vegas casino Resorts World. The sources told ESPN that Mizuhara paid his losses to Bowyer's associate, who forwarded the money to his own "marker" accounts at Resorts World and Pechanga Resort Casino in Southern California. The men then withdrew chips from the marker account, gambled with them, and if they won, cashed out. Sports betting is illegal in California and Bowyer is under federal investigation. Mizuhara's name popped up while the Los Angeles Times was reporting on the investigation into Bowyer, which brought the scandal to light. Federal investigators allege Mizuhara stole the money in part by impersonating Ohtani on the phone with his bank. "Technically I did steal from him," Mizuhara allegedly wrote in a message to his bookmaker after news of the scandal broke in late March, according to the criminal complaint. "It's all over for me." Ohtani is considered a victim in the case. Between December 2021 and January 2024, Mizuhara allegedly placed about 19,000 wages, averaging 25 a day. Those bets came to a net loss of more than $40 million, according to the criminal complaint. Mizuhara faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison if convicted of bank fraud. The 29-year-old Ohtani signed a record 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers this past offseason. He spent the first six years of his MLB career a little further south with the Los Angeles Angels. The two-way star is hitting .341/.406/.635 this season. He is unable to pitch as he recovers from September elbow surgery. Ohtani and Mizuhara met in 2013, when Ohtani was 18 and playing for the Nippon Ham Fighter in Japan and Mizuhara served as the team's interpreter for English-speaking players. The Dodgers terminated Mizuhara after the scandal came to light in March.