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The Shohei Ohtani betting scandal has started to fade away after the MLB deemed Ohtani a victim of fraud in June 2024. His interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was sentenced to 57 months in prison by US District Judge John Holcomb.
However, Mizuhara's surrender date was pushed back, leading many to believe he was cooperating with the federal authorities as Assistant US Attorney Jeff Mitchell explored whether Ohtani himself was betting on baseball games. However, the New York Post's Josh Kosman has revealed that Mitchell has resigned, likely putting an end to the investigation into Ohtani.
"This probably makes it more likely this is all done," a source told the Post. "And is good news for Ohtani and any of the other names that never got charged."
The "other names" were David Fletcher, a teammate of Ohtani's with the Los Angeles Angels, and Yasiel Puig. Fletcher was accused of betting on sports with Mizuhara's bookie, but not on baseball. He was never charged with a crime.
"Fletcher, a close Ohtani friend and Angels teammate, reportedly bet on sports with Mizuhara’s illegal bookie Matthew Boyer, but not baseball and was never charged with a crime," wrote Kosman. "Puig is presently fighting an obstruction of justice charge related to the sports betting investigation."
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Ohtani has seemed to be in the clear ever since the MLB concluded its investigation into the Dodgers superstar. However, the federal investigation was still looming over his head. Now, with Mitchell resigned, there is a good chance that the case becomes an afterthought.
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