Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter, was sentenced to over four years in prison for stealing millions from the star baseball player to pay off gambling debts.
Ippei Mizuhara , the former interpreter for Shohei Ohtani , received a prison sentence of over four years and was ordered to pay $18 million in restitution on Thursday for his involvement in an illegal betting case. Prosecutors allege that Mizuhara stole millions from the Los Angeles Dodgers star to settle his gambling debts. Mizuhara pleaded guilty last year to charges of bank fraud and subscribing to a false tax return, acknowledging his theft of millions from the Japanese player.
A federal judge in Orange County sentenced him to four years and nine months in prison, matching the prosecution's request. The maximum possible sentence for the charges was 30 years. Mizuhara is required to surrender to federal authorities by March 24.Prosecutors detailed how Mizuhara stole nearly $17 million from Ohtani's bank account while serving as his primary translator. He allegedly executed unauthorized wire transfers from the player's checking account between November 2021 and January 2024. Prosecutors claim Mizuhara began gambling with an illicit sports bookie in September 2021 and incurred substantial losses several months later. During this period, the contact information linked to Ohtani's bank account was altered. Instead of Ohtani's details, it was changed to an anonymous email address connected to Mizuhara, along with his phone number.Prosecutors further allege that Mizuhara contacted the bank and deceitfully identified himself as Ohtani to facilitate wire transfers from the player's account to his gambling associates. Last month, an audio recording obtained by the Associated Press revealed Mizuhara allegedly impersonating Ohtani during a bank call to transfer over $200,000. Prosecutors stated that Mizuhara claimed the funds were intended for a car loan. As Ohtani's primary translator, Mizuhara's responsibilities included assisting the player in communication with fans and his English-speaking teammates. Ohtani is widely regarded as one of the league's most prominent stars, achieving his first World Series victory last year and breaking a significant MLB record during the same season by becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season
Shohei Ohtani Ippei Mizuhara Illegal Betting Bank Fraud Prison Sentence
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