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The former interpreter for Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani was sentenced on Thursday to nearly five years in federal prison and ordered to pay $1 million in back taxes, after pleading guilty last year to stealing nearly $17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger.
Prosecutors accused Ippei Mizuhara, 40, who moved to the U.S. in 2018 with Ohtani and served as a close confidante and translator, of a multi-layered set of crimes involving the Dodgers star’s money.
“Mr. Ohtani is a victim in this case,” Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally said outside the courthouse in Santa Ana, California. “He had money stolen from him. He was taken advantage of, and he was preyed upon by Mr. Mizuhara.”
The former translator will face 57 months in prison, and has been ordered to return the stolen funds to Ohtani.
Mizuhara began accessing Ohtani’s accounts in 2021, impersonating the MLB icon in communications with the bank and using this deception to authorize more than 20 wire transfers, prosecutors said.
He then used the stolen funds to cover personal bills and place illegal sports bets resulting in a net $41 million loss, according to officials.
All told, the interpreter made over 19,000 bets, winning and losing a total of $330 million, while failing to file proper tax returns, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
The Independent has contacted representatives of Ohtani, Mizuhara, and Major League Baseball for comment.
Officials said Mizuhara never bet on baseball, and that Ohtani, perhaps the most famous player in the sport, was unaware of the grift.
The defense originally sought a sentence of 18 months.
Mizuhara apologized for his actions and said he carried out the scheme while addicted to gambling.
“I truly admire Shohei as a baseball player and a human being and I was committed to devote my life so Shohei can be the best version of himself on the field,” Mizuhara wrote in court documents. “I want to say I am truly sorry for violating his trust in me.”
After the allegations broke last year, Mizuhara was fired from the Dodgers, and Major League Baseball opened its own investigation.
Officials said the interpreter is a lawful permanent U.S. resident and may face deportation as a result of the sentence.
The case was a rare dark mark for Ohtani, who has a trophy cabinet including a World Series win last year, three MVP awards, and a $700 million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers, one of the largest in baseball history.
