Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter to plead guilty in bank fraud case
Prosecutors say he stole nearly $17m from the baseball star.
Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, will plead guilty to both bank and tax fraud, according to recent reports.
Federal prosecutors allege that Mizuhara “stole nearly $17m from the Japanese baseball player to pay off debts.”
They went on to add that Mizuhara “exploited his personal and professional relationship with Ohtani to plunder millions from the two-way player’s account for years, at times impersonating Ohtani to bankers.”
Mizuhara first opened a bank account for Ohtani in 2018. According to the plea agreement, he began stealing money from the account soon after.
He went on to place a series of bets, which he deposited into his own bank account. His winnings totaled more than $142m, while losing wagers reached $183m. None of the bets were placed on baseball.
Mizuhara will appear for his arraignment on May 14, the local report said. He could face up to 30 years in federal prison for the bank fraud charge, which is the maximum sentence. The false tax return charge could add another up to three years.
According to the terms of the plea agreement, Mizuhara will have to pay back both Ohtani and the IRS. Ohtani would receive $17m, while the IRS would receive $1m. These payments could be changed during sentencing, the local report said.
US attorney Martin Estrada released a statement regarding Mizuhara’s case and commented on the scope of the fraud.
He said, “The extent of this defendant’s deception and theft is massive. He took advantage of his position of trust to take advantage of Mr. Ohtani and fuel a dangerous gambling habit.”
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