Speaker 1economists and bettors talk about something called the black swan an event or a series of events that's so rare so unpredictable no one would bet on it happening march 19th 2024 was my black swan because the story we had been working on for five months would suddenly change over the next 24 hours twisting and turning in ways i could never have expected and for reasons i'm still trying to understand i had seen wire transfers that showed a bank account and shohei otani's name had wired millions to an illegal bookmaking operation and shohei's spokesperson confirmed it but he told me that shohei wasn't the one gambling he says it was his interpreter ipe misahara shohei was just paying off ipe's debts and now shohei's team has offered me an interview with someone they said would clear this all up
Speaker 2all right i am this is tisha thompson i am recording this call um go ahead and tell me who you are and do i have permission to record you
Speaker 3uh just mom i'm me pay me i'm me pay me zahara and you do have permission to record me
Speaker 1i've never talked to epay before but i instantly recognize his voice it's the voice of shohei otani whenever shohei talks to reporters in japanese it's epay who translates his words into english i've been warned by espn's baseball reporters that epay doesn't say much i'm not sure he'll give me anything more than a prepared statement and i don't know how much time i'll get with him but i've been investigating this story for five months and i have a lot of questions about how shohei and his money got tied up in all of this what epay's role was and i wonder if what epay tells me will hold up to my line of questioning i reach epay in south korea he's in seoul with the los angeles dodgers who are set to play the san diego padres in just a few hours it's the opening game of the mlb season
Speaker 2all right epay what i would like to do is have you tell me your story and your words
Speaker 3oh okay um okay
Speaker 1shohei otani is about to play his first regular season game in a dodgers jersey and he will deliver he'll get his first hit his first steal his first rbi for the dodgers but that will not be the top headline tomorrow because his interpreter is about to steal the show here's the pitch to otani i'm espn investigative reporter tisha thompson from 30 for 30 podcasts this is the betrayal of episode two the interview this episode is presented by gusto
Speaker 4when you run a small business you don't just do the job you're also the hiring manager the payroll department and the benefits team usually all before lunch gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses it's all-in-one remote friendly and incredibly easy to use so you can pay hire onboard and support your team from anywhere try gusto today at gusto.com slash 30 for 30 and get three months free when you run your first payroll that's three months of free payroll at gusto.com slash 30 for 30 one more time gusto.com slash 30 for 30
Speaker 5strong communities are built in the places where life happens where families build their lives where students build their futures where businesses create opportunity bloom energy provides reliable power for the places communities depend on every day from hospitals and college campuses to stores and factories clean quiet power that uses little water right where it's needed so communities can keep moving forward bloom energy power america relies on i'm the only reporter epay ever
Speaker 1spoke to about this story it's now been more than two years since we had this call and every time i listen to it i hear it differently when the interview starts my first goal is to get an understanding of how the bookie at the center of this story matt boyer came into the picture by now i've confirmed that boyer is under federal investigation and the bookie at the center of this story is matt boyer and the bookie at the center of this story is matt boyer and the bookie at the center of this story is matt boyer and the bookie at the center of this story is
Speaker 6I've been on some
Speaker 3football, basketball, soccer. Not baseball. I've never been on baseball. Overseas, domestic, anything. That's 100%. I knew that rule.
Speaker 2You did. And that rule being which rule?
Speaker 3Not to bet on baseball.
Speaker 2Who told you that?
Speaker 3We have a meeting about that in spring training. Okay. I don't think I'm going to bet on baseball ever. But it was okay to bet on other sports other than baseball, is my understanding.
Speaker 1This tracks with Major League Baseball's rules on sports betting. Players and team employees can bet on sports, but they may not bet on baseball, and they cannot use a bookie.
Speaker 2Did anyone ever tell you that you couldn't
Speaker 1use a bookmaker?
Speaker 3I don't fully recall.
Speaker 1But Ipe says once he met the bookie, he began. to rack up millions of dollars in debt.
Speaker 2Why were you doing that? What was it doing for you?
Speaker 3Oh, okay. Okay, so. At the time. I couldn't share this with Shohei, but. It was hard for me to make, like, my ends meet. I was kind of going paycheck to paycheck. Because I kind of had to keep up with his lifestyle. But at the same time. I didn't want to tell him this. Obviously, it ended up being the worst-case scenario. I didn't want to go to help. I didn't want to go to him for help financially. Stuff like that. So I was just trying to make ends meet on my side. And I was in debt a little bit. And stuff with other, like, my parents and some friends. And at the time, that gambling. They said he's going to give me some credit. I felt like I had a chance to kind of make some money back and just kind of lower it into the worst situation.
Speaker 1I'm wondering if this response might be rehearsed. It feels like a clean answer that just came pouring out of Ipe in one go. Before this, the most we had ever heard him speak. was when he interpreted Shohei's words. He rarely ever spoke about himself.
Speaker 2I'm curious. You were talking about how, you know, you couldn't keep up with Shohei's lifestyle. And you didn't tell him that, but you couldn't do it. How much do you make each year?
Speaker 3At the time, I was making about $85,000 a year.
Speaker 2Um. Did you. Did you. This is 2021-ish? Yes. Okay. Did you start to make more than that? over the next couple of months or years?
Speaker 3Well, now with the Dodgers, I am making more money. And last year with the Angels, it became a pretty good raise.
Speaker 2Okay. I have been
Speaker 7told you make roughly $300,000.
Speaker 6Is this going to go out on the story?
Speaker 2I've had someone tell me it's $300,000. If that is incorrect, I want to know.
Speaker 3Okay. Well, my new deal with the Dodgers is a little bit more than that.
Speaker 2Okay. Is it more than $500,000?
Speaker 1No. Okay. Back in 2021, with his $85,000 a year salary, Ipe says it was tough to make ends meet. So when Boyer Sportsbook offered him credit, he says it seemed like a chance to make some money.
Speaker 2So did it go bad quickly, or did you win some money?
Speaker 3I never cashed out. I'm terrible. I'm never going to do it ever again. I never won any money from there. You really? And I just kept on losing, and I just kept on digging a deeper hole. And I just couldn't get out of it.
Speaker 2Did you tell anyone?
Speaker 3No. I did not. Why? Mainly, it was just embarrassing.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 3I mean, my wife doesn't even know about any of this until even right now. Okay. She's with us in Korea right now, and she's, like, having a great time. And my heart's, like, ripping apart every minute. Yeah. She noticed that. I'm, like, weird, acting weird. Just can't, like, call her right now. It's going to ruin the whole trip.
Speaker 1Oh. Oh. Ipe pauses. And another voice jumps into the conversation. His name is Matt Hiltzik. He's Shohei Ohtani's spokesperson, and he's been listening in on this call the whole time. When he speaks up here, he tells Ipe, we're all here for you, and we're all going to help you. He says, we care about you as a person. As he continues to reassure Ipe, I wonder if he is talking to Ipe, or if this speech is actually meant for me. Because the spokesperson was hired to protect Shohei and Shohei's reputation. He doesn't represent Ipe or Ipe's interests. He tells Ipe, we just want the truth. When he stops talking, I take my cue to continue.
Speaker 2How much do you estimate you lost overall with Boyer's operation?
Speaker 3That's one thing that I would like to keep disclosed as possible. I think it's really embarrassing if the amount gets out, and it's also why I would like to keep it disclosed.
Speaker 1I had seen the wires showing that Shohei Ohtani's bank account had sent money to the bookie's operation. Multiple sources have told me at least $4.5 million left Shohei's account. But I've heard it could be a lot more, maybe as much as $16 million.
Speaker 2I have sourcing that says that Boyer's operation was paid at least $4.5 million. What is your response to that?
Speaker 3I would say that is pretty accurate.
Speaker 2Okay. Is it more than that?
Speaker 6I don't think so. I don't think so.
Speaker 2Okay. For people who have never been in this place, how do you get to $4.5 million? Is it because you keep hoping, for instance, that the next vet is going to bail you out? Or, you know, for someone who doesn't know what it's like, how do you get to $4.5 million?
Speaker 3I just, I mean, I dug myself a hole and kept on getting bigger. And it's meant I had to bet bigger to get out of it. And just kept on losing. And it's like a snowball effect.
Speaker 2How did you start paying him back?
Speaker 3Um, so that's when I had to go to Shohei for help.
Speaker 1Ipe is about to explain why the money was coming from Shohei's bank account, even though Ipe is the one gambling. By 2023, Ipe had racked up millions of dollars in debt. And to pay off those debts, he says he goes to Shohei.
Speaker 2How did that go down?
Speaker 3Well, I explained my situation, what's going on, and why I'm in this much of a debt. And obviously, I mean, he wasn't happy about it. But. He said he would help me out. Just make sure, like, I never do this again. And that's pretty much what happened. And he decided to pay it off for me.
Speaker 2Did he offer, or did you ask? I asked. How do you ask someone? I mean, it's been characterized to me that the two of you are best friends. That you were as close as brothers.
Speaker 7You know, like, how would you characterize your relationship with him?
Speaker 6Um. I guess best friends.
Speaker 3I mean, we are like brothers. I mean, we're with each other every day. Yeah. Some more time with him than my wife, probably. Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, he's like a family to me.
Speaker 1Yeah. Ipe and Shohei were always around each other. There seemed to be a genuine closeness between them. Tim saw him as a friend. He saw it. Others did, too. And now, Ipe says they really are that close.
Speaker 2Was it hard to come to him, or was it easy because you are so close?
Speaker 3Oh, it was extremely hard. Yeah. I didn't want, like, that was the last thing I wanted to. I mean, initially, I didn't want to go to him about making my ends meet. And this was on another level, so it was really, really difficult.
Speaker 2Were you frightened? Yes. In that moment when you went to him, what were you afraid of?
Speaker 3Afraid that, I mean, a lot of things. I mean, you know, just that we built up. Yeah. Afraid that I might go away. Maybe he might think of me differently. Yeah. Stuff like that.
Speaker 2Were you afraid for your safety or anything like that?
Speaker 6For my safety?
Speaker 3Mm-hmm. I mean, yeah, I was. I was because I was in that much debt. I didn't know, like, someone's going to, like, come to my house one day. Yeah. I had those kind of thoughts, too.
Speaker 1I'm intrigued by Ipe's response. His initial fear is what his debt will do to his relationship with Shohei. But when I bring up his safety, he says, yes, he was afraid. But he's told me he thought this was a legal sportsbook. So why would he be afraid? Legal sportsbooks don't come knocking at your door to collect their debts.
Speaker 7So I would like to get into the specifics of what Shohei offered you
Speaker 2when you told him you were in trouble. You said you asked him for help. Did you ask him for money?
Speaker 6Yes. I asked him if he could pay my debt off. He had to give us some thoughts.
Speaker 7Had he ever gambled himself, as far as you're aware?
Speaker 6He's never gambled.
Speaker 3Ever. I can guarantee, after my life on the line, that he's never placed any sports bets ever in his life.
Speaker 1Ipe says Shohei would even talk about how much he disliked gambling.
Speaker 3He thinks gambling is terrible and obviously he doesn't need the money.
Speaker 2How do you know he thinks gambling is terrible?
Speaker 3Because he sees people, like our teammates, would be gambling all the time. He'll be like, why are they doing this? Gambling is not good.
Speaker 2When he would make comments like, How would that make you feel internally?
Speaker 3Oh, terrible. Yeah.
Speaker 2So that makes it even harder to go to him, I would imagine.
Speaker 3Yeah, it feels very hard to go to him.
Speaker 2You said he went to go think about it. So what does he come back to you with? Like, walk me through that conversation.
Speaker 3I mean, so the next time I see him, he says, all right, I'm just going to pay this all off for you. Make sure, like, you don't ever get into this shit again. I mean, that was basically it. It was pretty, like, short and simple.
Speaker 2Did you discuss how
Speaker 7to pay it off?
Speaker 6Yeah, he asked me, like, what do I need to do? And I said, I don't know. I got in the wire information for, I guess it's Boyer's account.
Speaker 7Did you reach out to Boyer to get it?
Speaker 1Yes. I'm getting really granular here because I want to know exactly, step by step, what the process was that led to those wire transfers. If what Ipe's saying is true, what role did Shohei play in sending money to an illegal bookie?
Speaker 2So did you send him a text message? Was it an email? Did he send it to you? Did you, like, how does this work?
Speaker 3Well, he texted, I think he texted me his wire info.
Speaker 2So you turn around and say to Shohei, here's the wire transfer information?
Speaker 7Mm-hmm. Do you. Show it to him on your phone?
Speaker 2Do you text it to him? Do you do it for him? Like, how does that go?
Speaker 3I did it on his behalf. Okay. Through provision.
Speaker 2So do you have access to his bank account?
Speaker 6No, I don't.
Speaker 2Okay. So when you say you did it on his behalf, explain to me how that works.
Speaker 3Mm-hmm. And I guess, I mean, he could log in online banking and send the wire.
Speaker 1Ipe says Shohei knew about the wires. He says that they sent them together. My adrenaline is pumping. If that's true, he's just put Shohei. Shohei's fingerprints on the transaction. It wasn't just that the money was coming from Shohei's account. Ipe says Shohei was involved. By telling me this, by admitting this, he's directly implicating Shohei in sending millions to an illegal bookmaking operation that's under investigation for money laundering. I'm wondering, does Ipe realize what he just said? When an investigative reporter reaches out about a story, that connects a celebrity to potential scandal, it usually kicks off a careful PR response. But here is Ipe, possibly implicating Shohei in something that could jeopardize his career. Was this the plan? Is he going off script? Has my line of questioning forced him to reveal something he didn't mean to? Because the spokesperson doesn't intervene. So I keep going.
Speaker 2What was his understanding of who Boyer was? Did he know that Matt was a bookie?
Speaker 3I don't think he had any clue who he was or what he did. I just told him that this is the guy that I need to turn the wire to pay off the debt.
Speaker 2He didn't say, have you done anything illegal or anything like that?
Speaker 3No, I don't think he's questioned me about that.
Speaker 2Um. One of the things that we know about. the transfers is that it says "loan" on them, and I'm curious why it says "loan".
Speaker 3Uh, we had to add a description for the wire. Mm-hmm. I think. I think Matt might have told me to just put "loan" or. Hmm. You had to put something there.
Speaker 1If you wire a real loan to someone, you don't pay income taxes on it. But if you lie about it, and it's not actually a loan, you're potentially committing tax fraud. Mm-hmm. If you lie about it, and it's not actually a loan, you're potentially committing tax fraud.
Speaker 2I would be interested in seeing any kind of text messages or communications from Matt.
Speaker 3Um, I deleted every text I had with Matt.
Speaker 1Up until this point, I've let Ipe tell me his story in his words. I haven't really pushed back on what he says for a reason. I wanted to see where he would go with it. But now I need to challenge some of what he's told me.
Speaker 2So, and forgive me for this, Ipe, this is a lot of money. You tell him you're in trouble. You know it's for gambling. Mm-hmm. You really didn't sit there and think about whether this
Speaker 6was legal or not? Me? Myself? Yeah. I never really crossed my mind, ever, that this
Speaker 3was, like, illegal at all. Until a couple
Speaker 6days ago when I found out that there was an
Speaker 7investigation going on.
Speaker 2Okay.
Speaker 7Did you think at any point by asking Shohei to pay your
Speaker 2debt that he would potentially be committing—he would be putting himself, frankly, in the situation we're in right now, where there would be questions about legality?
Speaker 3Did you think at any point by asking Shohei to pay your debt that he would potentially be committing—he would potentially be putting himself, frankly, in the situation we're in right now, where there would be questions about legality? I don't think either of us did think about that at the time at all.
Speaker 2Do you have the kind of relationship where he does things without questioning it?
Speaker 1The spokesperson jumps in here. He says to Ipe, "He wasn't happy with you, right?"
Speaker 3No, yeah, he was definitely not happy.
Speaker 1Ipe tells me Boyer wanted the money in a lump sum, but they couldn't afford it. Shohei tells me Boyer wanted the money in a lump sum, but they could only send the wires in $500,000 installments. He says he and Shohei sent about eight or nine payments over the course of several months in 2023. That matches what my sources have told me.
Speaker 2After you tell him about your situation and he begins to make these payments on your behalf, did it or how did it change your relationship with him?
Speaker 3Honestly, to be honest, in the beginning, I felt really uncomfortable. It was hard to see him. But he's a great guy. He went on his life like nothing ever happened.
Speaker 1Shohei going on with his life in 2023 equated to hitting 44 home runs and earning the MVP award in the world of basketball. And now Ipe is telling me that all that time, he and Shohei found the time to sit down together and secretly wire millions of dollars to Boyer's operation.
Speaker 6but he kind of helped that go away.
Speaker 2But you had to keep making these payments.
Speaker 7Yes. Did you have to keep having this conversation?
Speaker 6But he knew the whole amount, and he knew that we had to make several payments
Speaker 3because you can't send more than $500,000 at a time. So it wasn't like I asked him every week, like, oh, sorry, this came up again.
Speaker 6It wasn't like that.
Speaker 7How was it?
Speaker 6In the beginning, when I told him, like, this is how much I'm in debt,
Speaker 3I didn't know it was the whole amount. But he knew that he had to pay that whole amount off for me. It was going to be in increments.
Speaker 2So would you go to him and remind him? Would he just do it of his own volition?
Speaker 3No, I would do it with him every time.
Speaker 2And it just became normal? It wasn't awkward like it was in the beginning? Is that what you're saying?
Speaker 3Yes. For me, I mean, it was all. I felt bad every time. You're right. It was a wiring, but, yeah.
Speaker 2But he didn't make a big deal out of it? No. Yeah. How did you feel about that? Explain to me how that made you feel.
Speaker 3I mean. And very appreciative, obviously, but at the same time, she really, really, like, I'm super guilt-tripped, like, really guilty, terrible about it. And, I mean, ever since that day, like, it's always in the back of my mind, it's haunting me every day. I always think about it, like, it's always there in
Speaker 6my head, and I don't know if it will ever go away.
Speaker 7Did you offer to ever pay him back?
Speaker 2Or was this, you know, I'm going to pay this, and we're cool? Or did you say, let me try to pay some of this back?
Speaker 3No, I'm going to pay him back. I told him I'm going to pay him back. It might take a while, but I told him even if he says no or anything, I'm going to make all the effort to pay him back.
Speaker 2What's really important to me is that I understand correctly about why Shohei would pay an illegal bookmaker directly from his bank account and call it a loan rather than just giving money to you, Ipe. To pay off your debts.
Speaker 6So, we didn't know that this was
Speaker 3illegal, first of all. I think that's very important. And he didn't want to give the money to me, and he didn't want me to try to gamble it off again. So he wanted to make sure it's going back to the debt.
Speaker 1Like my source had predicted, Ipe is taking the blame. He says he was the gambler, and he asked Shohei to pay off his debts. But there's a critical question that I've been building to here, which is simply, why should I believe you, Ipe?
Speaker 2One of the things that's been said to me is that Otani owes Sawyer money. And I want to understand why it would be characterized that way to me.
Speaker 3I have no idea why anyone would say that.
Speaker 2His name is on the bank statements. His name's on the wires. I mean, there's going to be people wondering, is it Otani who did it, and you're taking the fall for him? So I want to give you a chance to respond to that.
Speaker 1The spokesperson jumps in before Ipe can say anything. He tells me, Ipe has already answered the question, that he spent the last hour sharing his story. But I push back.
Speaker 2No, I know, but I want to give Ipe a chance. To respond to that criticism. You know, I'm anticipating, oh, he's just taking the fall for Otani. So what would you say to someone who would accuse you of that?
Speaker 3Shohei never, ever met Matt Boyer, never talked to him. So there would be no way that Shohei could have, I mean, been doing this on his own or anything. And it was all me. And that's 100% truth. And all Shohei did was pay it all for me. And there's, like, not much more than that.
Speaker 2So was there any kind of conversation between the two of you that, like, his name is now going to be on these wire transfers? He's now connected. You see what I'm getting? Like, he's connected to this now. His name, you know, whether it's legal or not. His name is now connected to someone that you owe money to. And he's going to get pulled into this now. Was there really no conversation like, oh, now your name's attached to this?
Speaker 3It really wasn't because, like I said earlier, we thought, yeah, no, this was illegal. Because it was 100% legal. We didn't really. We didn't really think about anything with troubles with his name being involved in this. But obviously, if I knew this was illegal, then I would never show his name into any of this.
Speaker 1This is when the spokesperson interjects again, this time telling me, there's no cover-up. I never said the word cover-up. But the spokesperson doubles down, saying, if people say this is just a cover-up, it's the worst cover-up in history.
Speaker 2Like, you're denying there's any kind of cover-up here?
Speaker 6There's absolutely no cover-up. Okay. At all.
Speaker 2What was your gut-level fundamental reaction when you learned that Matt was under investigation?
Speaker 3I was scared. I was scared more than anything. I still am at this moment, but that's about it.
Speaker 2What are you scared about at this moment?
Speaker 3Well, when the story goes out, the reaction to the story is what I'm afraid of.
Speaker 2You're afraid of the media, not necessarily the federal investigators. I'm not too sure what's
Speaker 3going on with the whole federal investigation thing. I just know that there is an investigation. I don't know any more details.
Speaker 2Has anyone reached out to you from the federal government? No, never. Has anyone reached out to Shohei about these bank transfers from the federal government? No, not that I'm aware of. And she will tell me if someone's in.
Speaker 1We've now been talking for about 80 minutes, and the spokesperson is interrupting more and more. I can feel that my time is running out, and I'm worried he's going to try to end the interview. I'm getting very close to the end, guys, because I know you're watching the clock.
Speaker 2Just bear with me. I'm going through my notes.
Speaker 3I can. I'll say. I can. Go, yeah. I have time tomorrow to talk or tonight after the game.
Speaker 1Yeah. Ipe thinks we're going to have the chance to talk again. He and I seem to have a very different understanding of the gravity of what he's told me. I think he's going to be fired. He may be in even more trouble. I don't know. Either way, I don't think they're ever going to let me talk to him again.
Speaker 2What have I not asked you that you think is really important that people understand, that you want folks to know?
Speaker 6Obviously, I want everyone to know that I had zero involvement in the betting. I want to make that clear. And I want people to know that I did not know this was illegal.
Speaker 3And obviously, I learned my lesson in a very hard way, and I take it to the heart. I take it to the heart. I take it to my
Speaker 6heart, and I will never, ever do sports betting ever again.
Speaker 2Never do sports betting? Mm-hmm. Are you prepared to face the consequences if baseball, and when I say baseball, I mean the Dodgers or Major League Baseball, decides to take action?
Speaker 3Yes, I'm fully prepared to face any and all consequences.
Speaker 1I'm fully prepared to face the consequences if baseball, and when I say baseball, I mean the Dodgers or Major League Baseball. Download Instacart and try Clementine today. A few hours after I get off the phone with Ipe, the opening day game of the 2024 MLB season gets underway. So, please welcome to the field the staff, coaches, and reserves for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers versus the Padres. The two American teams are at Go Chucks Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea. A little morning baseball back in the United States, evening here in Seoul. I'm watching the game on my laptop while I work on my story. All eyes are on Shohei. Having second, the designated hitter, number 17, Shohei Oldslam. But at this moment, I don't really care about what's happening on the field. I'm waiting for the cameras to cut away to the dugout. Waiting. Watching. For Ipe. What does he look like? Is he tired? Because I'm exhausted. I never went to bed, and it's now 6 o'clock in the morning on the East Coast. Will he look stressed? Will Shohei be able to look him in the eye? Because Ipe's made a mess, and now Shohei and his people are going to have to clean it up. Ipe has just confessed to an ESPN reporter that he racked up millions of dollars of debt betting on sports, and that he and Shohei sent money to an illegal bookmaking operation. In just a couple of hours, we're planning to publish my article that will reveal both of these things to the world. But instead of looking like two men who are in trouble, and whose relationship I would think would be under considerable stress, they're laughing. Standing next to each other in the dugout, watching the game, Shohei and Ipe are laughing. Together. Very little surprises me these days. But that. The two of them laughing. I was stunned. The Dodgers beat the Padres 5-2. As the team walks off the field, into the locker room, we're in the final stages of putting ourselves together. We're in the final stages of putting ourselves together. But less than 15 minutes before we're set to publish, I get a call from Shohei's spokesperson, Matt Hiltzik. When I pick up, he shouts into the phone, Ipe lied. Matt Hiltzik is freaking out in a way I've never before experienced in my career. He's frantic, telling me that Shohei just now learned about the transfers from his account. Just now. In the locker room. He says Shohei had no idea Ipe was using his money to pay off his loan. And that the whole thing was a lie. He says he's still trying to figure out what happened and hangs up. Not long after, I get a statement from Otani's lawyers. It says, In the course of responding to recent media inquiries, we discovered that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft and we are turning the matter over to the authorities. I call Ipe. I don't know. I don't record it. Everything is moving too fast. I read him the statement and he confirms it, but won't say anything more. Ipe, I say. Did you lie to me last night in some of your statements? Yes. I'm worried he'll hang up and I need clear answers. So I jump into a set of yes or no questions. Did Shohei transfer funds to the bookmaking operation? No. Did Shohei know the funds were being transferred? No. Did you tell Shohei? Did he tell Shohei about the gambling debts and wiring the money? No. Did you offer to pay him back? Yes. When? As soon as I can. I ask, Today or in the past? Ipe says, I told him today and the past. I'd been told by Shohei's team that he only learned just now that Ipe took his money, but Ipe's saying he had offered to pay it back in the past. So I start to ask him, when did Shohei learn his money was missing? But he didn't. But Ipe interrupts me. They told me I can't answer anything. Who is they? He doesn't answer. Is it Otani's people? He doesn't answer. I ask him if he's being paid or getting any kind of deal to say this. He says no. He's doing it of his own free will. Are you employed with the Dodgers? He tells me he's not sure. Then I ask, Did you lie to Shohei? Ipe says, Yes. Throughout the call, I can hear a voice talking. I think to him, I can't tell if it's a man or a woman. I don't know if it was his wife, Shohei's agent, or someone else. When I ask, Are you being accused of stealing or embezzling from Shohei? Ipe interrupts. I was also told I can't comment on that part. I ask, Have you told your family? He says, I don't want to talk about my family. We hang up. I call him up. I call my editors. As we drop these new quotes into the story, I text Ipe with one final question. Did you take the money from Shohei's accounts without his knowledge? Ipe never responds.
Speaker 8The Dodgers have fired the interpreter for Shohei Otani. Misuhara allegedly placed wagers with an illegal sportsbook in California. Accused of racking up millions of dollars in illegal gambling debts. And claims Otani had no knowledge of his gambling debts, or transfers. It's certainly not the good look now that Otani would like. A scandal now rocking the sport. So how in the world does someone just transfer four and a half million dollars of his money, and he has no idea of it?
Speaker 1Why did the story change so drastically? My sources first told me Shohei's bank account was sending money to a bookie. But then Ipe said he was the one gambling. Shohei was the one gambling. He was just helping him pay his debts. And now it's changed again. It was all Ipe. Ipe placed the bets, and somehow accessed Shohei's bank account to pay off the bookie. And Shohei knew nothing about it. Who really is Ipe? Ipe says he and Shohei were closer than brothers. Always together. And so in this moment, people were asking, is it really possible that Shohei, didn't know what was going on?
Speaker 9You know where your money's at? I know where my money's at. That's all I can say.
Speaker 1Either Shohei was betrayed by his best friend, or he threw his best friend under the bus. This season, on The Betrayal of Shohei Otani.
Speaker 5Everyone wants every little bit of Shohei Otani. And Ipe was part of him. Part of the Shohei Otani deal was Ipe.
Speaker 9I was shocked to see this person bet over $19,000. I was shocked to see this person's sports events. I mean, even if I wanted to, I couldn't do that many bets. I was pissed. It was definitely a manipulation from the get-go. It painted a really shocking picture of one person abusing the trust of another person. Otani on the run. Ball one down, and Otani has another stolen base.
Speaker 1The Betrayal of Shohei Otani is based on reporting by me, Tisha Thompson, with support from Tim Kuhn and the ESPN investigative unit. Our producer is Carrie Ann Thomas. Our senior producer is Max Green. Our senior editorial producer is Preeti Varathan. Our associate producer is Gus Navarro. Story editing by Audrey Quinn, Alain Tang, Eric Neal, and Mike Drago. Additional editing by Rebecca Hudson. Our archival producer is Jennifer Wheelock. Our line producer is Catherine Sankey. Production managers are Jason Schwartz and Sheena Williams. Fact-checking by John Mastroberodino with David Sabino. Additional editorial review from Masa Niwa. Original music by Allison Leighton-Brown and John DeLore. Sound design by John DeLore. Chris Buckle is vice president of ESPN investigative enterprise and digital journalism. Marsha Cook, Brian Lockhart, Heather Anderson, and Burke Magnus are directors. Our executive producers for 30 for 30. David Roberts, Mike Foss, and Roxanna Scott are executive producers for ESPN. ESPN.
PodcastTranscript AI