Dodger superstar’s confidant pleads guilty to stealing $17 million from powerful hitter to pay off debts
An interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges after secretly transferring about $17 million from the player’s account to pay off gambling debts.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Ippei Mizuhara incurred the debt through illegal betting operations without Ohtani’s knowledge. Mizuhara is expected to plead guilty to bank fraud and false tax returns in the coming weeks.
“He exploited his position of trust to take advantage of Mr. Ohtani and fuel a dangerous gambling habit,” Martin Estrada, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, said in a statement.
The plea agreement comes as Ohtani, the rare combination of pitcher and hitter who signed a record $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December, has become a symbol of the effort. MLB’s efforts to expand its brand worldwide.
The Japanese teenager began playing in California in 2018 and asked Mizuhara to serve as a translator as his career in the US began. Mizuhara, who was Charged in AprilAccording to federal prosecutors, he was not only the 29-year-old’s interpreter but also a close friend and de facto manager.
Mizuhara’s attorney, Michael Freedman, declined to comment. A spokesperson for the Dodgers did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Details of Mizuhara’s fraud emerged Wednesday when the Justice Department announced his plans to plead guilty. Mizuhara gained access to Ohtani’s bank account after helping him open an account at a branch in Phoenix in 2018. Mizuhara began placing bets with an illegal bookmaker in September 2021. Debt Deeply indebted, he used Ohtani’s bank credentials for the next two and a half years to gain unfettered access to his salary.
According to prosecutors, he also changed the security protocols on Ohtani’s account so that the bank would call Mizuhara to verify every wire transfer.
The government said the translator siphoned nearly $17 million from Ohtani’s account. He faces more than 30 years in prison.
Despite the distractions of the scandal, Ohtani is having a successful season for the Dodgers, who sit atop the National League West. He is leader team in terms of batting average, home runs and hits.
An arm injury kept him from playing this year. Before signing with the Dodgers, he played six seasons for the Los Angeles Angels on the freeway in Anaheim.
