Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, has agreed to plead guilty to charges of bank and tax fraud related to a sports betting scandal, federal prosecutors announced on Wednesday.
This case, which involved the alleged theft of nearly $17 million from Ohtani to cover gambling debts, has shocked baseball enthusiasts across the U.S. and Japan since coming to light in March.
Mizuhara is set to admit to one count of bank fraud and one count of filing a false tax return, with the bank fraud charge potentially leading to a 30-year sentence and the tax charge up to three years. He has also agreed to pay restitution to Ohtani, nearly amounting to $17 million, and over $1 million to the IRS, with the final sums to be determined before sentencing.
Prosecutors detailed how Mizuhara abused his trusted position, siphoning millions from Ohtani’s bank account, which he managed since 2018. He started misappropriating funds in 2021, manipulating bank protocols and impersonating Ohtani to authorize transactions. Despite winning over $142 million, his net losses amounted to nearly $41 million, as his losses totaled about $183 million. Notably, he did not place bets on baseball.
The deception extended to Mizuhara’s tax filings, where he underreported his income by more than $4 million in 2022. His attorney, Michael G. Freedman, has not commented on the plea agreement.
The case has drawn significant attention, leading to Mizuhara’s dismissal from the Dodgers and an MLB investigation into the matter. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed hope for closure following the plea deal announcement.
Mizuhara, who remains free on a $25,000 signature bond with conditions including undergoing treatment for gambling addiction, is scheduled to formally enter his plea on May 14. Throughout the legal proceedings, Ohtani has continued to focus on his baseball career, achieving significant milestones on the field.
