Ippei Mizuhara agreed to plead guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of filing a false tax return
Ippei Mizuhara, h Former Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has agreed to plead guilty to transporting nearly 17 million dollars by the player to cover gambling debts, according to the US Department of Justice.
The 39-year-old interpreter agreed to plead guilty to two federal charges, including one count of bank fraud and one count of filing a false tax return, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison and up to three years in federal prison, respectively.
“The extent of this defendant's deception and theft is enormous,” 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 justice for victims throughout our community and to ensuring that offenders face justice.”
IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher said Mizuhara “exploited his relationship with Mr. Ohtani to fund his own irresponsibility.”
In March, Ohtani's lawyers accused Mizuhara of stealing millions of dollars from the athlete to cover bets with an allegedly illegal bookmaker under federal investigation.
The following month, the interpreter was charged with bank fraud after allegedly stealing $16 million from his former employer. The federal complaint said Mizuhara placed about 19,000 bets between December 2021 and January 2024, that he won about $142 million on those bets while losing about $182 million — meaning he was about $40 million in the hole. The complaint added that the records did not show any betting on baseball games.
Mizuhara is expected to formally plead guilty to the charges in the coming weeks. His trial was set for May 14.
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