Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter to plead guilty to stealing nearly $17M from player

LOS ANGELES — The former interpreter for MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani has agreed to plead guilty to bank fraud on Wednesday in connection to the theft of $17 million from the Dodgers’ standout to cover gambling debts, federal prosecutors said.

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According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Ippei Mizuhara, 39, of Newport Beach, California, agreed to plead guilty to one count of bank fraud. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.

Mizuhara also pleaded guilty to one count of subscribing to a false tax return, which carries a sentence of up to three years in federal prison.

Mizuhara has not yet formally entered a plea, Ciaran McEvoy, a spokesman for the Department of Justice, told the Los Angeles Times. McEvoy said Wednesday he expects Mizuhara to “plead guilty in the coming weeks.”

His arraignment is scheduled for May 14, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said Mizuhara exploited his personal and professional relationship with Ohtani to steal millions of dollars from the two-way player’s account through the years.

“The extent of this defendant’s deception and theft is massive,” United States Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement. “He took advantage of his position of trust to take advantage of Mr. Ohtani and fuel a dangerous gambling habit. My office is committed to vindicating victims throughout our community and ensuring that wrongdoers face justice.”

At times Mizuhara impersonated Ohtani to bankers, according to prosecutors. His winning bets totaled more than $142 million, which he deposited in his account and not Ohtani’s, according to The Associated Press. However, his betting losses totaled more than $183 million, the news organization reported.

Mizuhara did not bet on baseball.

As his gambling debts mounted, prosecutors said Mizuhara used Ohtani’s password to sign into his account and then changed the account’s security protocols without the player’s knowledge. He allegedly changed the registered email address and telephone numbers on the account so that bank employees would call him -- and not Ohtani -- when attempting to verify wire transfers from the account.

In the plea agreement, Mizuhara also admitted that in February he filed a false individual tax return for the 2022 tax year. Prosecutors said that the former interpreter claimed that his total taxable income for that year was $136,865, when it was substantially higher.

Mizuhara has worked with Ohtani since 2017, according to The Associated Press. When the player left the Los Angeles Angels to sign with the Dodgers, the team hired Mizuhara.

Mizuhara was born in Japan but grew up in Southern California.

Ohtani, a two-time unanimous American League MVP, left the Angels and moved across town after six seasons.

Ohtani is the first player in baseball history to be named unanimous MVP on multiple occasions, winning this season and in 2021, ESPN reported. He has become baseball’s first two-way star since Babe Ruth pitched and played the outfield more than a century ago.

The native of Japan led the American League in home runs during the 2023 season with 44, according to Baseball-Reference.com. As a pitcher, the right-hander fashioned a 10-5 record and a 3.14 ERA in 23 appearances.

For the 2024 season, Ohtani is hitting .365 with 11 home runs and 27 RBI in 27 games, according to Baseball-Reference.com.

Due to an arm injury, Ohtani will not pitch for the Dodgers during the 2024 season.

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