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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 opted to plead guilty to bank fraud after allegedly stealing $17million from the baseball star, the Central District of California's Attorney's Office announced on Wednesday.
The count of bank fraud carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. Mizuhara will also plead guilty to one count of subscribing to a false tax return, which carries a sentence of up to three years.
He is expected to enter a guilty plea 'in the coming weeks,' with his arraignment scheduled for May 14. The plea agreement says Mizuhara will be required to pay Ohtani restitution that could total nearly $17M, as well as more than $1M to the IRS. Those amounts could change prior to sentencing.
The scandal surrounding Mizuhara shocked baseball fans from the U.S. to Japan when the news broke in March. Mizuhara exploited his personal and professional relationship with Ohtani to plunder millions from the two-way player's account for years, at times impersonating Ohtani to bankers, prosecutors said.
Mizuhara's winning bets totaled over $142M, which he deposited in his own bank account and not Ohtani's. But his losing bets were around $183M, a net loss of nearly $41M. He did not wager on baseball.
Ippei Mizuhara (L) agreed to plead guilty to federal criminal charges for illegally transferring $17 million from Shohei Ohtani's bank account without the player's knowledge or permission
Mizuhara is facing a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. He has been free on a $25k bond
Mizuhara helped Ohtani open a bank account in 2018 and began stealing money from that account in 2021, according to the plea agreement. At one point, Mizuhara charged the security protocols, email and phone number associated with it so that calls came directly to him, not Ohtani, when the back was trying to verify wire transfers. Mizuhara impersonated Ohtani to the bank about 24 times, according to the agreement.
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 in 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 wagering on baseball, even legally. MLB also bans betting on other sports with illegal or offshore bookmakers.
Ohtani has stayed focus on the field while Mizuhara's case carried on, as he hit his 17th run in MLB against the Padres last month, tying Hideki Matsui for most HRs by a Japan-born player
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he had no comment on the plea deal on Wed., adding, 'I just hope it is more closure on the situation.'
Mizuhara has been free on an unsecured $25,000 bond, colloquially known as a signature bond, meaning he did not have to put up any cash or collateral to be freed.
If he violates bond conditions - which include a requirement to undergo gambling addiction treatment - he will be on the hook for $25k.
Ohtani has sought to focus on the field as the case winds through the courts. Hours after his ex-interpreter first appeared in court in April, he hit his 175th home run in MLB, tying Hideki Matsui for the most by a Japan-born player, during the Dodgers' 8-7 loss to the San Diego Padres in 11 innings.