Last week, Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers played in Philadelphia while Ippei Mizuhara, once Ohtani's inseparable interpreter and confidant, sat in a federal prison in central Pennsylvania serving a 57-month sentence for fraud. Two years ago they appeared inseparable; now one is an MVP favorite, the other largely forgotten.

At the peak of his crimes, Mizuhara placed an average of 26 sports bets per day (19,000 total), winning $142 million but losing $183 million — a $40.7 million deficit. To repay it, he stole at least $16 million from Ohtani's bank account, impersonating the star to authorize $500,000 wire transfers, plus $325,000 in baseball cards and $60,000 in dental work. The account, flush with Angels salary deposits, went largely unwatched by Ohtani or his representatives.

Federal investigators assert Ohtani was solely a victim, backed by 40,000 texts with zero gambling mentions. The scandal, detailed in ESPN's "The Betrayal of Shohei Ohtani" by Tisha Thompson, reveals how Mizuhara's gambling addiction spiraled after meeting bookmaker Matt Bowyer. Modern sports wagering acted like a potent new drug, consuming Mizuhara, Bowyer (who served seven months), and nearly Ohtani.

The criminal is behind bars; the superstar plays on. Yet as the story fades, its warning should ring louder: no one is untouchable, and the bigger the talent, the bigger the target.