Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, has opted to plead guilty to bank fraud after allegedly stealing $17million from the baseball star, the Central District of California’s Attorney’s Office announced on Wednesday.
The count of bank fraud carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. Mizuhara will also plead guilty to one count of subscribing to a false tax return, which carries a sentence of up to three years.
He is expected to enter a guilty plea ‘in the coming weeks,’ with his arraignment scheduled for May 14.
The scandal surrounding Mizuhara shocked baseball fans from the U.S. to Japan when the news broke in March. 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, prosecutors said.
Mizuhara’s winning bets totaled over $142M, which he deposited in his own bank account and not Ohtani’s. But his losing bets were around $183M, a net loss of nearly $41M. He did not wager on baseball.
There was no evidence that Ohtani was involved in or aware of Mizuhara’s gambling, and the player is cooperating with investigators, authorities said.
The Los Angeles Times and ESPN broke the news of the prosecution in late March, prompting the Dodgers to fire the interpreter and MLB to open its own investigation.
MLB rules prohibit players and team employees from wagering on baseball, even legally. MLB also bans betting on other sports with illegal or offshore bookmakers.
Mizuhara has been free on an unsecured $25,000 bond, colloquially known as a signature bond, meaning he did not have to put up any cash or collateral to be freed. If he violates the bond conditions – which include a requirement to undergo gambling addiction treatment – he will be on the hook for $25,000.
Ohtani has sought to focus on the field as the case winds through the courts. Hours after his ex-interpreter first appeared in court in April, he hit his 175th home run in MLB, tying Hideki Matsui for the most by a Japan-born player, during the Dodgers´ 8-7 loss to the San Diego Padres in 11 innings.
More to follow…
