Ippei Mizuhara, who used to work as an interpreter for MLB star Shohei Ohtani, has admitted his guilt in a bank fraud case. Mizuhara has pleaded guilty to stealing almost $17 million from the renowned player. The motive behind this crime was to cover his substantial gambling debts. The U.S. Department of Justice has confirmed this information.
Mizuhara, aged 39, has reached an agreement to plead guilty to bank fraud, a charge that could result in a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. Additionally, he has also agreed to plead guilty to subscribing to a false tax return, which could lead to a sentence of up to three years in prison. These details were revealed by the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Mizuhara is anticipated to enter his plea within the upcoming weeks, and his arraignment is scheduled for May 14, as stated by the DOJ.
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“The defendant’s deception and theft were of a significant magnitude,” stated U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. “Exploiting his trusted position, he took advantage of Mr. Ohtani and fueled a hazardous gambling addiction. Our office is dedicated to seeking justice for victims in our community and holding wrongdoers accountable.”
Mizuhara assisted Ohtani, who doesn’t speak English, in establishing a bank account in Phoenix back in 2018. During this process, Mizuhara provided interpretation services for the player’s account login information. However, in September 2021, Mizuhara found himself in a troubling situation. He began placing sports bets with an illegal bookmaker and soon accumulated a significant amount of debt, as stated in the plea agreement.
In a press release, the DOJ stated that Mizuhara, facing financial difficulties due to his gambling debts, devised a plan to deceive and defraud the bank in order to unlawfully acquire funds from the account.
Mizuhara gained unauthorized access to Ohtani’s bank account and modified the security information to ensure that bank employees would reach out to Mizuhara instead of Ohtani for wire transfer verification, as stated in the plea agreement. Additionally, Mizuhara posed as Ohtani during 24 phone calls to the bank, as outlined in the agreement.
According to the plea agreement, Mizuhara transferred approximately $17 million from the account to associates of the bookmaker in over 40 wires without Ohtani’s permission between November 2021 and March 2024.
In the plea agreement, Mizuhara confessed to falsely stating that his total taxable income for 2022 amounted to $136,865. However, it was later revealed that he had failed to report an additional $4.1 million in income.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the unreported income stemmed from his fraudulent bank scheme. The DOJ pointed out that he is liable for approximately $1,149,400 in extra taxes for the tax year 2022, along with additional interest and penalties.
Estrada emphasized that Ohtani is a victim in the case and has fully and completely cooperated in the investigation.
The Dodgers made the decision to terminate the Japanese interpreter, Mizuhara, on March 20, following the emergence of the gambling controversy. The team did not disclose the exact cause for Mizuhara’s dismissal.
Mizuhara faced charges in the case last month. After his first appearance in federal court on April 12, his lawyer, Michael Freedman, stated to ABC News that Mizuhara is actively cooperating with the legal process. He remains hopeful that he can reach a resolution with the government swiftly and take responsibility for his actions.
“He is expressing his sincere apologies to Mr. Ohtani, the Dodgers, Major League Baseball, and his family,” the statement added. “It was mentioned in court that he is also determined to pursue treatment for his gambling addiction.”
During a press conference on March 25, Ohtani finally spoke out about the scandal. Expressing his feelings through an interpreter, Ohtani shared his deep sadness and shock over the actions of someone he had placed his trust in.
