Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison Thursday for bank and tax fraud after admitting to stealing nearly $17 million from the baseball player’s bank account, The Associated Press reports.
Mizuhara, 39, who acted as a crucial bridge between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, pleaded guilty last year to using the stolen funds to fuel his gambling addiction and cover other personal expenses.
In addition to the prison sentence, US District Judge John Holcomb ordered Mizuhara to pay $18 million in restitution, allocating nearly $17 million to Ohtani and the remainder to the IRS. Upon release, Mizuhara will also serve three years of supervised release and has been ordered to surrender to authorities by March 24.
Addressing the court, Mizuhara apologized to Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the government, and his family. He acknowledged using the stolen money to cover his mounting gambling debts with an illegal bookmaker, purchase $325,000 worth of baseball cards, and even pay for his dental bills.
Acting US Attorney Joseph T. McNally emphasized that Ohtani was a victim in the case, telling reporters outside the courtroom that Mizuhara exploited Ohtani’s vulnerability as a non-English speaker navigating the world of high-profile baseball, a situation McNally called “all too common.”
Mizuhara’s attorney, Michael Freedman, argued for a more lenient sentence of one and a half years, citing his client’s gambling addiction and the ease with which an illegal bookie provided him with large lines of credit due to his association with Ohtani.
However, federal prosecutor Jeff Mitchell countered that the stolen amount represented approximately half of Ohtani’s earnings from the Los Angeles Angels, where he previously played. Mitchell emphasized that the damage extended beyond financial loss, affecting a globally recognized athlete and sparking an international media frenzy.
The investigation stemmed from a broader probe into illegal sports bookmaking organizations in Southern California and the laundering of illicit proceeds through Las Vegas casinos.
Prosecutors revealed that Mizuhara accessed Ohtani’s account beginning in 2021, manipulating security protocols to impersonate the baseball star and authorize wire transfers. By 2024, he had spent around $325,000 on baseball cards from online resellers and gambled tens of millions of dollars on international soccer, NBA, NFL, and college football games. Authorities confirmed that Mizuhara never bet on baseball.
Born in Japan, Mizuhara moved to California at age 6 and, after initially struggling, learned English. He returned to Japan in 2013 to work as an interpreter for a Japanese baseball team before becoming Ohtani’s interpreter.
The two developed a close bond, and Mizuhara followed Ohtani to the US in 2018, taking on numerous personal errands for the player, including grocery shopping, according to his attorney.
Mizuhara was a constant presence throughout Ohtani’s baseball career, serving as his catcher during the 2021 All-Star Game Home Run Derby and witnessing his two American League MVP wins and his record-breaking $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He even famously resigned from the Los Angeles Angels during the 2021 MLB lockout to continue communicating with Ohtani, only to be rehired after the labor dispute was resolved.
