Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter set to plead guilty to stealing millions from MLB star
(CNN) — Ippei Mizuhara, the interpreter who for years worked closely with Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani, is expected to plead guilty in court Tuesday to stealing almost $17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger to pay off gambling debts.
Mizuhara, 39, reached a plea agreement last month in which he agreed to plead guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of filing a false income tax return, according to the Justice Department.
The interpreter began placing sports bets with an illegal bookmaker in September 2021 and then pilfered from Ohtani to cover the debts, authorities said.
“From no later than November 2021 to March 2024, Mizuhara used Ohtani’s password to successfully sign into the bank account and then changed the account’s security protocols without Ohtani’s knowledge or permission,” the Justice Department said. “In total, Mizuhara called the bank and impersonated Ohtani on approximately 24 occasions.”
According to a court document, Mizuhara “fraudulently transferred and willfully caused to be transferred approximately $16.5 million.” Prosecutors alleged Mizuhara used the money to pay off illegal gambling debts and expenses, including $60,000 on personal dental work and $325,000 on baseball cards.
From December 2021 to January 2024, Mizuhara made a remarkable 19,000 wagers, with net losses of $40.7 million, the criminal complaint states.
Ohtani, who has denied any wrongdoing, is considered a victim in the case, prosecutors said.
“The extent of this defendant’s deception and theft is massive,” US Attorney Martin Estrada said last month. “He took advantage of his position of trust to take advantage of Mr. Ohtani and fuel a dangerous gambling habit.”
Mizuhara faces up to 30 years in prison for bank fraud and up to three years for filing a false tax return. His sentencing will occur at a later date.
The Justice Department said Mizuhara has admitted he owes more than $1.1 million in taxes for 2022 and the IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations are looking into the case.
Mizuhara, who is out of custody on $25,000 bond, could be deported as he is not a US citizen, the plea agreement and the US attorney’s office said. Mizuhara is a legal permanent resident who has a green card, the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California told CNN.
The scandal upended what had been perceived as a close friendship between the star and his interpreter and brought renewed scrutiny to the normalization and legalization of sports gambling in recent years.
Mizuhara and Ohtani, who does not speak English, first worked together from 2013 to 2017 at Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League team Nippon-Ham Fighters, where Mizuhara worked as an interpreter for non-Japanese speaking players, according to MLB.com. Mizuhara then became Ohtani’s interpreter in his rookie season with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018.
Ohtani starred for six seasons with the Angels as both a slugger and a pitcher, twice winning the American League’s Most Valuable Player Award. This past offseason, he signed a historic $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers.
The allegations against Mizuhara came to light in March when, after reporting from ESPN and the Los Angeles Times, Ohtani’s lawyers accused Mizuhara of “massive theft” of millions of dollars and placing bets with a bookie under federal investigation.
In April, Ohtani said he was “very grateful for the Department of Justice’s investigation,” according to a statement given to CNN by his representatives. “For me personally, this marks a break from this, and I’d like to focus on baseball.”
Despite the scandal, Ohtani has excelled in his first year with the Dodgers and remains one of the best sluggers in baseball.