Shohei Ohtani's ex-interpreter pleads guilty in $16 million fraud case linked to gambling scandal

Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, has pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud charges related to a gambling scandal that rocked Major League Baseball and one of its superstars.

Mizuhara entered his plea on Tuesday, June 4, in federal court in Santa Ana, California, and will be sentenced on October 25. The two charges against him carry a maximum sentence of 33 years in prison. (Mizuhara had originally entered a not guilty plea in May as a formality while his plea deal was being negotiated.)

During the process, such as ESPN The judge reportedly asked Mizuhara a series of yes or no questions about the consequences of his plea deal. Prosecutors outlined the charges against Mizuhara, and near the end of the hearing the judge asked Mizuhara to describe what he had done.

“I was working for victim A and I had access to his bank account and I had fallen into huge gambling debts and the only way I could think of was to use his money,” he replied. “I had access to Bank A. So I went ahead and cashed out my gambling debt with his bank account.” (Ohtani is not referred to by name in the charging documents but as “Victim A.”)

Prosecutors accused Mizuhara of stealing about $16 million from Ohtani to cover his sports gambling debts with a bookie who is also under federal investigation. According to the complaint, Mizuhara placed about 19,000 bets between December 2021 and January 2024, amassing a debut of about $40 million from $142 million in winnings and $182 million in losses. To cover those debts, prosecutors said Mizuhara took money from Ohtani's bank account, which he had helped the MLB star set up.

While Mizuhara allegedly bet on various sports, none of his bets were placed on professional baseball, according to the complaint. Ohtani, who has been described as a “victim” by prosecutors, has maintained that he did not know about Mizuhara's gambling or debts.

After Mizuhara's plea, Major League Baseball released a statement saying it was closing its own investigation into the matter. “Based on the completeness of the federal investigation made public, the information collected by MLB, and the criminal proceedings resolved without contest, MLB considers Shohei Ohtani to be the victim of fraud and this matter is closed.”

Ohtani's team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, said: “With today's plea in criminal proceedings against Ippei Mizuhara and the conclusion of both the federal and MLB investigations, the Dodgers are pleased that Shohei and the team can leave put this whole thing behind them and move on. in pursuit of a World Series title.”