Former interpreter of MLB star Shohei Ohtani, Ippei Mizuhara, is expected to plead guilty for stealing millions.
A 39-year-old interpreter named Mizuhara struck a plea deal last month, agreeing to plead guilty to charges of bank fraud and filing a false income tax return, as stated by the US Justice Department.
In September 2021, Mizuhara began placing bets with an illegal bookie and later stole from Ohtani to clear his debts, as shared by authorities.
"Beginning no later than November 2021 and continuing through March 2024, Mizuhara used Ohtani's password to successfully sign into the bank account and changed the account's security protocols without Ohtani's knowledge or permission," the Justice Department reported. "He made approximately 24 such calls to the bank, impersonating Ohtani."
Court documents show that Mizuhara "fraudulently transferred and willfully caused to be transferred about $16.5 million." The prosecutors alleged the money was used for paying gambling debts and various expenses, including $60,000 on dental work and $325,000 on baseball cards.
Over the period of December 2021 to January 2024, Mizuhara made an astonishing 19,000 bets, resulting in net losses of $40.7 million, according to the criminal complaint.
Ohtani, who has maintained his innocence, has been designated a victim in this case, prosecutors mentioned.
"The magnitude of this defendant's deceit and theft is immense," US Attorney Martin Estrada stated last month. "He exploited his position of trust to exploit Mr. Ohtani and feed his dangerous gambling addiction."
Mizuhara could potentially face 30 years in prison for bank fraud and three years for tax evasion. The sentencing is scheduled for a later date.
The Justice Department announced that Mizuhara admitted to owing more than $1.1 million in taxes for the 2022 fiscal year, with the IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations taking up the case.
Mizuhara, who is presently out on $25,000 bond, might be subject to deportation because he is not a US citizen. The plea agreement and the US attorney's office confirmed this. Mizuhara is a legal permanent resident with a green card, the US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California informed CNN.
This incident shattered the previously perceived close friendship between the prominent figure and his interpreter and has triggered fresh scrutiny on the growing normalization and legalization of sports gambling in recent years.
Mizuhara and Ohtani, who doesn't speak English, first collaborated from 2013 to 2017 at Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball League's Nippon-Ham Fighters. They teamed up again as interpreter and player respectively in Ohtani's rookie year with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018.
Ohtani, who won the American League's Most Valuable Player Award twice, dominated the Angels' baseball scene for six seasons as a slugger and a pitcher. This past offseason, he inked a $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers.
The allegations against Mizuhara surfaced in March after ESPN and the Los Angeles Times broke the story. Ohtani's attorneys claimed that he'd been victimized by a "massive theft" of millions of dollars and bets with a bookie under federal investigation.
In April, Ohtani expressed appreciation for the Department of Justice's investigation, as per a statement released by his representatives to CNN. "This signifies the end of this ordeal for me, and I would like to concentrate on baseball."
Despite the scandal, Ohtani has been performing exceptionally well in his first year with the Dodgers and continues to be one of the most talented hitters in baseball.
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Despite the theft, Ohtani continues to perform well for the Dodgers and is regarded as one of the most talented hitters in baseball, alluding to the strong bond between him and the US.
Mizuhara's legal troubles, including potential deportation due to his non-US citizenship, emphasize the importance of financial accountability within the sports community, underscoring the 'us' aspect of the situation.
