Latest news with #bankfraud
CBS News
3 days ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani's ex-interpreter, reports to federal prison in Pennsylvania
The former Japanese interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani surrendered to a federal prison in Pennsylvania on Monday, beginning a nearly five-year prison sentence for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly $17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player. Ippei Mizuhara, 40, was processed at a low security federal prison in Allenwood, Pennsylvania, his attorney Michael Freedman confirmed. The facility is about 125 miles (200 kilometers) northwest of Philadelphia. Mizuhara was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana in February to four years and nine months for bank and tax fraud. He was also ordered to pay $18 million in restitution, with nearly $17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the IRS. He was sentenced to three years' supervised release on top of the prison sentence. Authorities said Mizuhara began accessing Ohtani's account beginning in 2021 and changed its security protocols so he could impersonate Ohtani to authorize wire transfers. He has admitted to using the money to cover his growing gambling bets and debts with an illegal bookmaker, in addition to purchasing $325,000 worth of baseball cards and paying his own dental bills. He was a close friend and confidant to Ohtani, standing by his side for many of his career highlights, from serving as his catcher during the Home Run Derby at the 2021 All-Star Game, to being there for his two American League MVP wins and his record-shattering $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ohtani made his highly anticipated pitching debut Monday night for the Dodgers nearly two years after having elbow surgery.
CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
Victims lose $250,000 in ‘bank investigator' scam in Ottawa
Ottawa Police headquarters on Elgin St. is seen in this undated photo. (CTV News Ottawa) The Ottawa Police Service is looking to identify two suspects in connection to a so-called 'bank investigator' scam that has cost victims $250,000. Police say officers with the Organized Fraud Unit continue to investigate a 'series of sophisticated frauds involving suspects posing as bank fraud investigators.' To date, victims have been defrauded of approximately $400,000. On Tuesday, police asked for the public's help to identify two suspects believed to be responsible for 'multiple incidents' connected to the scam, with $250,000 stolen. Investigators released photos of two suspects. Ottawa police The Ottawa Police Service is looking to identify two suspects in connection to a "bank investigator" scam. (Ottawa Police Service/X) Ottawa Police Ottawa Police are asking for the public's help to identify two suspects believed to be responsible for multiple incidents involved in a "bank investigator" scam." (Ottawa Police Service/X) Police say the fraudsters contact victims by phone, using a spoofed caller ID to impersonate banks or financial institutions. 'Posing as bank investigators, they claim the victim's accounts have been compromised,' police said. According to police, once trust is established with the victim, the scammers will request sensitive banking information such as PINs and passwords. Investigators say the suspects will then instruct victims to leave their bank cards in a designated location for a 'courier' to collect. 'After retrieving the cards, the scammers rapidly withdraw funds or make large purchases before the fraud is discovered,' police said. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Ottawa Police Service's Organized Fraud Unit at 613-236-1222, ext. 5492 and speak with Det. Shawn Wahbeh.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Telegraph
Diamond tycoon ‘kidnapped and smuggled onto yacht in honeytrap plot'
A diamond tycoon was kidnapped and smuggled via yacht across the Caribbean in a honeytrap plot, the High Court has heard. Mehul Choksi was taken from Antigua to Dominica as part of an alleged Indian intelligence operation. The 66-year-old claims his abductors hoped to extradite him back to India, where he is accused of involvement in the country's biggest bank fraud. He is suing the Indian government, claiming it plotted the kidnapping, alongside the five individuals said to have carried it out in 2021. Choksi is wanted in connection with Nirav Modi, his diamond magnate nephew. Modi, known as the Diamond King, saw his jewellery empire collapse in 2018 when Indian authorities accused him of overseeing a £1.3 billion 'Ponzi-like' fraud scheme. The 54-year-old has been in a British prison fighting extradition to India since his arrest in 2019. Edward Fitzgerald KC, representing Choksi, told a preliminary hearing that only India had the ability to carry out the kidnapping. 'The evidence points inevitably to India being behind this – they had the motivation, they had the resources,' he said. The court was told an investigation by Antigua police found five UK-based individuals – Gurdip Bath, Barbara Jarabik, Leslie Farrow-Guy, Gurmit Singh and Gurjit Singh Bhandal – were involved. All deny wrongdoing. 'Interrogated by Indian agencies' The hearing was told Jarabik, a 35-year-old Hungarian luxury goods expert who was living in England, asked Choksi to visit her apartment on the island. However, upon his arrival, a group of men detained him and told him he was being 'interrogated by Indian agencies', it was heard. Choksi alleges he was beaten in a failed attempt to extort a false confession and implicate India's political opposition, which he said pointed to state involvement in the incident. He was then said to have been taken from the yacht by the Dominican coastguard vessel. Despite India applying to extradite him to his native country, he was freed on bail two months later. India's lawyer Harish Salve said in court filings that 'there is no evidence of India having anything to do with the alleged events'. India argues it has state immunity.
Japan Times
3 days ago
- Japan Times
Ohtani's ex-interpreter Mizuhara begins prison sentence
Ippei Mizuhara, a former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, has begun serving his prison sentence at a federal facility in Pennsylvania, sources said Monday. In February, Mizuhara, 40, was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison on charges of bank and tax fraud in a high-profile theft case in which Ohtani was the victim. According to federal authorities, Mizuhara is being detained at a low security federal correctional institution in Allenwood, Pennsylvania. This facility has the second lowest security level among the five tiers of security for U.S. prisons, which are classified depending on factors such as the severity of crime and the risk of inmate escape. As Mizuhara does not have U.S. citizenship, he is expected to be deported to Japan after serving his sentence. Federal prosecutors filed a criminal complaint against Mizuhara in April 2024, after the former interpreter was found to have fraudulently transferred some $17 million from Ohtani's bank account, without the Major League Baseball superstar's permission, in order to repay debts incurred through illegal gambling. Mizuhara was originally scheduled to surrender to federal authorities by March, but the deadline was extended twice at his requests. The reset deadline was Monday. He has also been ordered to pay back Ohtani.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Baseball star Shohei Ohtani's ex-interpreter reports to federal prison in Pennsylvania
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The former Japanese interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani surrendered to a federal prison in Pennsylvania on Monday, beginning a nearly five-year prison sentence for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly $17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player. Ippei Mizuhara, 40, was processed at a low security federal prison in Allenwood, Pennsylvania, his attorney Michael Freedman confirmed. The facility is about 125 miles (200 kilometers) northwest of Philadelphia. Advertisement Mizuhara was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana in February to four years and nine months for bank and tax fraud. He was also ordered to pay $18 million in restitution, with nearly $17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the IRS. He was sentenced to three years' supervised release on top of the prison sentence. Authorities said Mizuhara began accessing Ohtani's account beginning in 2021 and changed its security protocols so he could impersonate Ohtani to authorize wire transfers. He has admitted to using the money to cover his growing gambling bets and debts with an illegal bookmaker, in addition to purchasing $325,000 worth of baseball cards and paying his own dental bills. He was a close friend and confidant to Ohtani, standing by his side for many of his career highlights, from serving as his catcher during the Home Run Derby at the 2021 All-Star Game, to being there for his two American League MVP wins and his record-shattering $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ohtani is set to make his highly anticipated pitching debut Monday night for the Dodgers nearly two years after having elbow surgery.
