(Bloomberg) -- A detailed complaint against Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter and close friend of Shohei Ohtani, shows how he orchestrated a sprawling scheme over more than two years to steal over $16 million of the baseball star’s money to pay gambling debts. 

Here are some key revelations in the 36-page criminal complaint filed by the US Justice Department against Mizuhara, 39, and released by Martin Estrada, the US attorney in Los Angeles.

Missing $16 Million

Bank records show more than $16 million of wire transfers to the bookmaker from November 2021 to January 2024.

According to the complaint, records reflect approximately 19,000 wagers between December 2021 and January 2024, and nearly 25 bets per day on average. The wagers ranged in value from about $10 to $160,000 per bet, with an average bet amount of roughly $12,800.

Read more here: Ohtani Interpreter Charged With Fraud Over Theft From Star

The money that Mizuhara allegedly took from Ohtani came directly from an account where Ohtani’s baseball salary was paid, according to the authorities. Prosecutors said the bets Mizuhara placed don’t appear to be on baseball.

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‘Bump Up’ Credit

Text messages on Mizuhara’s phone show he started illegal sports bets in September 2021 and soon began to lose substantial sums, according to the complaint. And the bookmaker kept increasing his betting limits, even when Mizuhara owed more than $1 million in losses.

In a text on Nov. 14, 2022, Mizuhara told the bookmaker: “I’m terrible at this sport betting thing huh? Lol ... Any chance u can bump me again?? As you know, you don’t have to worry about me not paying!!”

Mizuhara kept asking the bookmaker to “bump up” his credit line. In a Dec. 9, 2022, text, he said: “Can u bump me last 200? I swear on my mom this will be the last ask before I pay it off once I get back to the states. Sorry for keep on asking....”

On June 24, 2023, Mizuhara messaged the bookmaker: “I have a problem lol...Can I get one last last last bump? This one is for real...Last one for real[.]”

A few months later, Mizuhara was looking to resolve his outstanding bets. On Nov. 19, 2023, he messaged the bookmaker: “I’m gonna be honest, I ended up losing a lot of money on crypto the last couple years and I took a huge hit obviously with the sports too...Just wanted to ask, is there any way we can settle on an amount? I’ve lost way too much on the site already...of course I know it’s my fault.”

Impersonating Ohtani

Phone and bank records show Mizuhara accessed Ohtani’s bank account online, lied to bank employees and impersonated the baseball player to authorized wire transfers, according to the complaint. 

Bank records show that around late 2021, the contact information on Ohtani’s account was changed to Mizuhara’s phone and to an anonymous email connected to Mizuhara.

Recorded phone calls with the bank show Mizuhara identifying himself as Ohtani and trying to trick employees into authorizing wire transfers from the baseball player’s account to associates of the bookmaker.

‘It’s all over for me’

On March 20, after the first news reports about the losses in Ohtani’s account, Mizuhara sent the bookmaker an encrypted message admitting that he’d stolen funds from the baseball player, according to the complaint.

“Have you seen the reports?” Mizuhara said. 

“Yes, but that’s all bullshit,” the bookmaker responded. “Obviously you didn’t steal from him. I understand it’s a cover job I totally get it.” 

“Technically I did steal from him,” Mizuhara said. “It’s all over for me.” 

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