Shohei Ohtani, the star baseball player, is suing his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, for hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of baseball cards that were allegedly purchased fraudulently with Ohtani's money.

According to court documents filed on Tuesday, Mizuhara, who previously pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud for stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani, is accused of accessing Ohtani's bank account in November 2021 and changing his security protocols to impersonate him and authorize wire transfers. By 2024, Mizuhara had allegedly used that money to buy about $325,000 worth of baseball cards at online resellers eBay and Whatnot.

The lawsuit also alleges that Mizuhara is in possession of signed collectible baseball cards depicting Ohtani that were not authorized to be in his possession. Ohtani is requesting that Mizuhara return both the baseball cards and the money that was allegedly used to purchase them.

Mizuhara's attorney, Michael G. Freedman, declined to comment on the filing.

Mizuhara pleaded guilty in June to spending millions from Ohtani's Arizona bank account to cover his growing gambling bets and debts with an illegal bookmaker, as well as his own medical bills and the $325,000 worth of baseball cards.

He is due to be sentenced in January after pleading guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return, crimes that carry a potential sentence of more than 30 years in federal prison. He also could be on the hook for restitution to Ohtani that could total nearly $17 million, as well as more than $1 million to the IRS. And as a legal permanent resident who has a green card, he might be deported to Japan.

Mizuhara stood by Ohtani's side for many of the Japanese sensation's 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.

Off the field, Mizuhara became Ohtani's friend and confidant. He famously resigned from the Los Angeles Angels during the 2021 MLB lockout so he could keep speaking to Ohtani — he was rehired after a deal was struck — and their wives reportedly socialized.

But Mizuhara gambled it all away, betting tens of millions of dollars that weren't his to wager on international soccer, the NBA, the NFL and college football — though prosecutors said he never bet on baseball.

Earlier this year, Ohtani and the Dodgers won the World Series, and the baseball star won his third Most Valuable Player award.