Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara pleaded guilty Tuesday in a federal court in Santa Ana, California, to bank and tax fraud and faces up to 33 years in prison.
Mizuhara admitted to stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani to pay off sports betting debts. According to The Associated Press, the bank fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. The tax fraud charge carries a maximum prison sentence of three years. Mizuhara must also repay Ohtani up to $17 million, in addition to more than $1 million to the IRS.
Mizuhara addressed his crimes while speaking to the court.
“I worked for Victim A and had access to his bank account and had large gambling debts,” Mizuhara said. “I went ahead and transferred money… using his bank account.”
Mizuhara reached a plea deal with prosecutors on May 8 before formally entering his plea on Tuesday. He will be sentenced on October 25. He did not speak to reporters as he left the courthouse.
Ippei Mizuhara was surrounded by cameras as he left the courthouse in Santa Ana, California. He and his attorney say they are not commenting on the case at this time, or on the change from plea to guilty. pic.twitter.com/Aeyv9hZLhb
— Matthew Seedorff (@MattSeedorff) June 4, 2024
For years, Mizuhara served as Ohtani’s interpreter, the Japanese baseball sensation who won two MVP awards in his six MLB seasons. He also acted as Ohtani’s financial liaison when Ohtani moved to the United States in 2018.
According to the federal criminal complaint against Mizuhara, from December 2021 through January 2024, he placed 19,000 sports bets with an illegal bookmaker with bets ranging from $10 to $160,000 with an average stake of $12,800. The total number of bets averaged approximately 25 bets per day.
Records show he has won approximately $142.3 million in sports betting and lost more than $182.9 million, for a net loss of approximately $40.7 million. Mizuhara had access to Ohtani’s bank accounts and stole nearly $17 million from the baseball star to pay off those debts.
News of the scandal broke in March as Ohtani prepared for his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ohtani joined the Dodgers this offseason after six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels.
Ohtani, Dodgers, MLB respond
Ohtani released a statement through a spokesperson in response to Mizuhara’s plea.
“Now that the investigation has concluded, this full guilty plea has provided important closure for me and my family,” the statement read. “I would like to sincerely thank the authorities for completing their thorough and effective investigation and uncovering all evidence so quickly.
“This has been a uniquely challenging time, so I am especially grateful for my support team – my family, agency, attorneys and advisors along with the entire Dodgers organization, who have shown endless support throughout this process. It’s time to close this chapter, move on and continue to focus on playing and winning ball games.”
The Dodgers also released a statement.
“With today’s plea in the criminal case against Ippei Mizuhara and the conclusion of both the federal and MLB investigations, the Dodgers are pleased that Shohei and the team can put this entire matter behind them and move forward in the pursuit of a World Series title,” the spokesperson said. statement reads.
MLB, meanwhile, announced the conclusion of its own investigation, while Ohtani was cleared of any wrongdoing.
“Based on the thoroughness of the federal investigation that has been made public, the information that MLB has gathered and the criminal proceedings that have been resolved without contestation, MLB considers Shohei Ohtani to be a victim of fraud and this case is closed,” the statement from MLB.
How Mizuhara stole Ohtani’s money
According to the criminal complaint, Mizuhara joined Ohtani in 2018 as his interpreter at a bank branch in Phoenix to help set up an account that allegedly received Ohtani’s salary deposits from the Angels. Records show the contact information on the account was changed to Mizuhara’s phone number and an email address associated with Mizuhara. Transfers then occurred using devices using IP addresses associated with Mizuhara.
Bank records cited in the indictment show that Mizuhara called the bank twice and posed as Ohtani in an attempt to withdraw money from the account. He reportedly successfully made the first transfer from Ohtani’s account for $40,010 on November 15, 2021, on his way to stealing nearly $17 million.
Ohtani addressed the scandal in a March 26 statement to the media, stating that he had never bet on baseball or other sports and that he was previously unaware that Mizuhara had stolen from him.
“I am very saddened and shocked that someone I trusted did this,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “I never bet on baseball or any other sport, and I’ve never asked anyone to do so on my behalf. And I’ve never gone through a bookmaker to bet on sports. …
“I didn’t know this was happening until a few days ago. … In conclusion: Ippei stole money from my account and told lies.”
Authorities say Ohtani cooperated with investigators and there was no evidence he was involved or aware of Mizuhara’s gambling.
In addition to his endorsement income, Ohtani earned approximately $42.3 million during his six seasons with the Angels. He joined the Dodgers as a free agent in December on a 10-year contract worth $700 million.
Despite being sidelined as a pitcher, Ohtani is in the midst of another MVP-caliber campaign in his first season with the Dodgers. Through 58 games, Ohtani slashed .322/.392/.596 with 14 home runs, 38 RBI and 14 stolen bases. The 38-23 Dodgers have a seven-game lead over second-place San Diego Padres in the NL West.
