Shohei Ohtani’s Ex-Interpreter Faces Up To 30 Years Behind Bars For $16M Theft From LA Dodgers Star – Update

Dominic Patten and Bruce Haring
·3-min read

UPDATE, 11:18 AM: Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter could go to federal prison for 30 years if found guilty of pilfering more than $16 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar.

Ippei Mizuhara was charged today by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California for the money he allegedly illegally transferred out of Ohtani’s account to pay off millions in gambling debts. In one of the most damning portions of the criminal complaint, prosecutors including a text from Mizuhara to “Bookmaker 1” where the duo were discussing public reports of the theft from the Dodgers player.

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“Technically I did steal from him. It’s all over for me,” writes Mizuhara bluntly in words any jury is going to have a hard time overlooking.

READ THE BANK FRAUD COMPLAINT FROM THE DOJ AGAINST IPPEI MIZUHARA HERE

As well as filing the bank fraud charge Thursday against Mizuhara, the DOJ confirmed the IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations units are also involved in probes of their own in the matter.

Under a deal with law enforcement, Mizuhara is expected to turn himself in on Friday. He will then be taken to court for his first hearing, where he may or may not enter a formal plea.

The Japan-born player’s interpreter almost since the day he joined MLB, Mizuhara has been using Ohtani’s accounts and name to get his hands on big bucks since 2018, prosecutors revealed today. They also revealed recent discussions with Ohtani himself on the matter.

“In an interview last week with law enforcement, Ohtani denied authorizing Mizuhara’s wire transfers,” the US Attorney’s office outlined Thursday. “Ohtani provided his cellphone to law enforcement, who determined that there was no evidence to suggest that Ohtani was aware of, or involved in, Mizuhara’s illegal gambling activity or payment of those debts.”

Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers last month when revelations of his gambling problem and supposed sticky fingers became known.

In other news, the Dodgers have a three-game at home stint against the Padres starting tomorrow.

PREVIOUSLY, APRIL 10 PM: Ippei Mizuhara, fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers in March and accused of stealing millions of Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s money for gambling, is expected to plead guilty to federal charges issued later this week.

The New York Times reported today that Mizuhara is negotiating his guilty plea to a raft of charges. He is accused of siphoning at least $4.5 million from Ohtani’s accounts to cover his gambling debts.

The investigation is being run by the Los Angeles offices of the IRS’ criminal division, the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. attorney’s office for the Central District of California, the Times reported.

Their probe is nearly over and the Times reported that Mizuhara may have changed the settings on bank accounts so that Ohtani did not notice the transactions. That is a key sticking point that would absolve the baseball star from any involvement.

The case turned murky when Mizuhara gave conflicting accounts of what happened, contending at first that his friend paid his debts to alleged illegal California bookmaker Mathew Bowyer. He then changed that story when Ohtani’s attorneys became involved. The plea deal will require Mizuhara to attest to certain facts surrounding how he obtained the money.

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