Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud charges in a federal court in Santa Ana, California on Tuesday and faces up to 33 years in prison.
Mizuhara admitted to stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani to pay off sports betting debts. Per the Associated Press, the bank fraud charge carries a maximum of 30 years in prison. The tax fraud charge carries up to three years in prison.
Mizihura addressed his crimes while speaking to the court.
“I worked for victim A and had access to his bank account and had fallen into major gambling debt,” Mizuhara said. “I went ahead and wired money … with his bank account.”
Mizihura reached a plea deal with prosecutors on May 8 before formally entering his plea on Tuesday. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 25. He did not speak with reporters as he left the courthouse.
Mizihura was the longtime interpreter for Mizihura, the Japanese baseball sensation who’s won two MVP awards in his six MLB seasons. He also acted as Ohtani’s financial point person when Ohtani moved to the United States in 2018.
Per the federal criminal complaint against Mizihura, he made 19,000 sports bets with an illegal bookie from December 2021 through January 2024 with bets ranging from $10 to $160,000 with an average wager of $12,800. The total number of bets averaged roughly 25 bets per day.
Records show that he won roughly $142.3 million in sports wagers and lost a more than $182.9 million adding up to a net loss of roughly $40.7 million. Mizuhara had access to Ohtani’s bank accounts and stole nearly $17 million from the baseball star to pay off those debts.
News of the scandal broke earlier this spring as Ohtani prepared to play his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ohtani joined the Dodgers in the offseason after six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. The Dodgers released a statement Tuesday addressing Mizuhara’s plea.
“With today’s plea in the criminal proceedings against Ippei Mizuhara and the conclusion of both federal and MLB investigations, the Dodgers are pleased that Shohei and the team can put this entire matter behind them and move forward in pursuit of a World Series title,” the statement reads.
This story will be updated.
