Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara pleads guilty to bank fraud over $17M theft from Dodgers star

Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, has chosen to plead guilty to bank fraud after allegedly stealing $17 million from the baseball star, the District Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. announced on Wednesday.

The bank fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Mizuhara will also plead guilty to filing a false tax return, which carries a penalty of up to three years in prison.

He is expected to enter a guilty plea ‘in the coming weeks’, with his arraignment scheduled for May 14. Under the settlement agreement, Mizuhara will have to pay damages to Ohtani that could total nearly $17 million, as well as more than $1 million to theirs. These amounts may change prior to sentencing.

The Mizuhara scandal shocked baseball fans from the US to Japan when the news broke in March. Mizuhara took advantage of his personal and professional relationship with Ohtani to plunder millions from the two-way player’s account for years, sometimes posing as Ohtani to bankers, prosecutors said.

Mizuhara’s winning bets totaled more than $142 million, which he deposited into his own bank account and not Ohtani’s. But his losing bets amounted to about $183 million, a net loss of almost $41 million. He didn’t bet on baseball.

Mizuhara faces a maximum prison sentence of 30 years. He was released on a $25,000 bond

Mizuhara helped Ohtani open a bank account in 2018 and began stealing money from that account in 2021, according to the settlement. At one point, Mizuhara charged for the associated security protocols, email address and phone number so that calls went directly to him and not Ohtani when the supporters tried to verify transfers. According to the agreement, Mizuhara impersonated Ohtani at the bank approximately 24 times.

Mizuhara also admitted to falsifying his 2022 tax returns by underreporting his income by more than $4 million.

There was no evidence that Ohtani was involved or aware of Mizuhara’s gambling, and the player is cooperating with investigators, authorities said.

After news of the prosecution broke in late March, the Dodgers proceeded to fire the interpreter, while MLB opened its own investigation.

MLB rules prohibit players and team employees from betting on baseball, even legally. MLB also prohibits betting on other sports with illegal or offshore bookmakers.

Ohtani remained focused on the field as Mizuhara’s case continued, as he scored his 17th run in the MLB against the Padres last month, tying Hideki Matsui for the most HRs by a Japanese-born player.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he had no comment on the plea deal on Wednesday, adding, “I just hope this provides more closure to the situation.”

Mizuhara was released on a $25,000 unsecured bond, colloquially known as a signature bond, meaning he did not have to post any cash or collateral to be released.

If he violates the terms of the bond — including a requirement to undergo gambling addiction treatment — he will be on the hook for $25,000.

Ohtani has tried to focus on the field as the case winds through the courts. Hours after his former interpreter made his first appearance in court in April, he hit his 175th MLB home run, tying Hideki Matsui for the most by a Japanese-born player, during the 8-7 loss of the Dodgers vs. the San Diego Padres in 11 games. innings.