A former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is in negotiations to plead guilty to federal crimes related to accusations he stole millions from Ohtani and used it for gambling, the New York Times reported Wednesday, citing three people familiar with the matter.

Ippei Mizuhara was fired last month after Ohtani’s lawyers accused him of stealing from Ohtani and placing bets with a bookmaker who is under federal investigation. Ohtani later alleged Mizuhara stole the money from his bank account.

Prosecutors now believe that Mizuhara could have stolen money from Ohtani beyond the $4.5 million that Mizuhara initially was accused of taking, the three people with knowledge of the matter told the New York Times.

Law enforcement investigators believe they have evidence that Mizuhara was able to change the settings on Ohtani’s bank accounts, which would have prevented Ohtani from getting alerts and confirmation on the transactions, the New York Times reported, citing the three people knowledgeable of the case.

Ohtani has denied any involvement in the scandal.

An attorney for Mizuhara, Michael Freedman, told CNN Wednesday that “we do not have any comment at this time.”

The allegations became public while the Dodgers were in South Korea for an MLB season-opening series in March, with ESPN and the Los Angeles Times reporting Ohtani’s lawyers accused Mizuhara of “massive theft” of millions of dollars and placing bets with a bookie under federal investigation. Mizuhara was fired while the team was in Seoul.

Ohtani, who during the offseason signed baseball’s richest contract with the Dodgers, then adamantly denied to reporters March 25 betting on any sport or paying a bookie, and repeated his lawyer’s allegations that Mizuhara was stealing from his account.

“I never bet on baseball or any other sports or never have asked somebody to do it on my behalf and I have never gone through a bookmaker to bet on sports,” Ohtani said through a different interpreter during the March 25 news conference at Dodger Stadium.

The two-time MVP said he didn’t know money was being sent from one of his bank accounts to a bookmaker until he was on the South Korea trip, when he met one-on-one with after a team meeting in the clubhouse that left the slugger-pitcher thinking something was wrong.

“I’m very saddened and shocked that someone who I’ve trusted has done this,” Ohtani, Major League Baseball’s only two-way player, said.

ESPN’s Tisha Thompson, citing multiple unnamed sources, said on CNN’s “The Lead” last month at least $4.5 million was withdrawn via wire transfer from Ohtani’s bank accounts, though it was unclear who initiated the transfers.

The scandal brought renewed scrutiny to professional sports’ closeness with gambling.

The Internal Revenue Service and Major League Baseball are investigating the matter, with the league trying to determine whether its strict rules against gambling were broken. A player or employee who gambles on baseball can be suspended for a year, while someone who gambles on a game they are in some way a part of can be suspended for life. MLB’s commissioner can also penalize someone who goes outside legal sports betting entities and gambles with a bookie.

MLB considers Rule 21 so important it requires it be posted in every clubhouse.

Ohtani signed an unparalleled 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers this offseason after winning the American League MVP award twice over the past three seasons as a pitcher and designated hitter with the Angels.