Shohei Ohtani's ex-interpreter Ippei Mizuhara sentenced to prison and Millions in Restitution.
Photo credit: https://www.latimes.com/sports
The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani was sentenced Thursday to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly $17 million US from the Los Angeles Dodgers player's bank account.
Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal court in Santa Ana after pleading guilty last year.
He was ordered Thursday to pay $18 million in restitution, with nearly $17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the IRS.
He was also sentenced to three years' supervised release on top of the prison sentence and ordered to surrender to authorities by March 24.
"The magnitude of the theft - $17 million - in my view, is shockingly high," U.S. District Judge John W. Holcomb said upon issuing the sentence.
Holcomb said most people don't make that much money in their lifetime.
"I hope that Mr. Mizuhara will be able to repay that sum," Holcomb said. "That remains to be seen."
Mizuhara addressed the court and apologized to Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the government and his family.
"I am truly, deeply sorry for what I have done," Mizuhara said. "I am prepared to be punished for it."
Mizuhara has acknowledged using the money to cover his growing gambling bets and debts with an illegal bookmaker, in addition to $325,000 worth of baseball cards and his own dental bills.
His attorney declined to comment after the hearing.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph T. McNally told reporters after the hearing that Mizuhara took advantage of Ohtani's vulnerability as a non-English speaking person trying to navigate the world of celebrity baseball - a high-profile example of something that is all too common. He emphasized that Ohtani was a victim.
"Mr. Mizuhara lied, he cheated and he stole," McNally said. "His behaviour was shameless."
Mizuhara's attorney, Michael Freedman, had asked for a sentence of one and a half years. During the sentencing hearing, he asked that the judge consider his client's gambling addiction was challenged by his connection to a bookie willing to credit him large sums of money because of who he worked for.
"He was exposed to a world in which he was given a unique and unlimited credit to run up these kinds of numbers," Freedman said.
"The most significant harm to Mr. Ohtani is the reputational damage, which may never be fully repaired," Mitchell said.
The case affected arguably the world's most famous baseball player and stoked an international media frenzy.
It stemmed from a broader probe into illegal sports bookmaking organizations in Southern California and the laundering of proceeds through casinos in Las Vegas.
By 2024, Mizuhara had used the money to buy about $325,000 worth of baseball cards at online resellers and had bet tens of millions of dollars that weren't his to wager on international soccer, the NBA, the NFL and college football.
Mizuhara was born in Japan and moved to California with his parents when he was 6.
He struggled to learn English but eventually did, and he returned to Japan in 2013 to become an interpreter for a Japanese baseball team and later for Ohtani, according to court filings.
Inside baseball, Mizuhara stood by Ohtani's side for many of the athlete's career highlights, from serving as his catcher during the Home Run Derby at the 2021 All-Star Game, to being there for his two American League MVP wins and his record-shattering $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Mizuhara's attorneys expect him to be deported, as Mizuhara is a permanent resident of the United States but not a citizen.
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