Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the theft of millions from the Los Angeles Dodgers star player to pay off illegal gambling debts.
Mizuhara, who has been the subject of a massive investigation that began in April, previously pleaded not guilty in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom during a procedural matter in early May.
He faces a maximum possible prison sentence of 30 years and will be sentenced on October 25.
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He appeared in federal court in Santa Ana on Tuesday for a modification of plea hearing, pleading guilty to one count of bank fraud and filing a false tax return. The U.S. Attorney’s Office previously said he could face more than 30 years in prison if he does convicted as charged.
“According to the complaint, Mr. Mizuhara stole this money largely to finance his voracious appetite for illegal sports betting,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said when the indictment was announced.
Related: Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter negotiates guilty plea with federal investigators: NY Times
Mizuhara was charged with ‘grand larceny’ by attorneys representing Ohtani the day after Major League Baseball’s 2024 season kicked off. He was fired by the Dodgers shortly thereafter, and the complicated story began to unravel.
In the weeks since, MLB, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles and the Federal Bureau of Investigation started their own investigationgradually revealing that Mizuhara had allegedly paid over $16 million to pay off an illegal Orange County bookmaker.
Mizuhara is accused of helping Ohtani, who speaks mainly Japanese, set up bank accounts when he moved to the United States after signing with the Los Angeles Angels in 2017. Estrada said one of these bank accounts, which was set up in Arizona, became the source of wire transfers to the bookmaker.
“I am very saddened and shocked that someone I trusted did this,” the Japanese star said said through a new interpreter after the news broke. “Ippei stole money from my account and told lies. I never bet on sports and have never sent money to the bookmaker.”
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Ohtani and Mizuhara ended their six-year run in Anaheim when the two-way player signed a contract monstrous 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers after the 2023 season came to an end.
He was also accused of filing a false tax return in 2022, when he claimed to earn $136,865. Instead, according to prosecutors, he made more than $4.1 million from his bank fraud.
In addition to gambling payments, prosecutors also allege Mizuhara used more than $60,000 to finance personal dental work and purchase $325,000 worth of baseball cards.
Illegal gambling has become an unforeseen chapter of the 2024 MLB season, with former Angels infielder David Fletcher caught up in an investigation into place bets with the same bookmaker end of May. On Monday, league officials also announced San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano risks a lifetime ban on betting on baseball games last season when he was with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
