Ippei Mizuhara, formerly known as the interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, is facing an uncertain future and has turned to delivering Uber Eats in Los Angeles to stay busy, reports the New York Post.
Mizuhara recently appeared in court where he pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud charges. Earlier this year, he was accused of illicitly transferring $16 million from Ohtani’s bank account to cover his own gambling debts. During the hearing on Tuesday, Mizuhara confessed to the judge, “I worked for Victim A [Ohtani] and had access to his bank account. I had fallen into major gambling debt, and the only solution I saw was to use his money. I accessed Bank A and wired money from his account to cover my gambling debts.”
The MLB conducted an investigation into the matter and determined that Ohtani was indeed a victim of fraud. “Based on the thoroughness of the federal investigation that was made public, the information MLB collected, and the criminal proceeding being resolved without being contested, MLB considers Shohei Ohtani a victim of fraud. This matter has been closed,” stated the league.
Ohtani, meanwhile, continues to excel on the field, maintaining an All-Star caliber season with a batting average of .322, 15 home runs, and 40 RBIs. He notably hit a two-run homer off Paul Skenes on Wednesday.
Mizuhara is scheduled for sentencing on October 25, where he faces the possibility of up to 33 years in prison.
