Dodgers Way
FanSided

Shohei Ohtani's former translator Ippei Mizuhara sentenced after massive gambling scandal

ByEmma Lingan|
Dec 21, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani (right) and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara attend the game between the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Dec 21, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani (right) and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara attend the game between the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Ippei Mizuhara, former interpreter for Shohei Ohtani, was sentenced to 57 months in prison Thursday after he swindled millions from the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar.

Mizuhara, a former employee of the Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of tax fraud back in June 2024. According to Sam Blum of The Athletic, Mizuhara's sentence is set to begin March 24, and there will be three years of supervised release. Mizuhara has also been ordered to pay Ohtani nearly $17 million in restitution and an additional $1.1 million to the IRS.

Shohei Ohtani's former translator Ippei Mizuhara sentenced after massive gambling scandal

Mizuhara's sentencing comes nearly a year after reports first emerged in March 2024 that millions of dollars had been wired from an account in Ohtani’s name to an illegal gambling ring. Mizuhara initially claimed that Ohtani had agreed to the transfer in order to help him pay his gambling debts, but Ohtani's attorneys refuted the claim and alleged that their client had been a victim of theft. The Dodgers promptly fired Mizuhara, and MLB opened an investigation into the matter shortly thereafter.

Per the allegations against him, Mizuhara had repeatedly contacted the bank and impersonated Ohtani in order to access his account. Ohtani, meanwhile, believed that his financial team was monitoring the accounts – and since Mizuhara handled all of the language interpretation between Ohtani and his team, both sides remained in the dark about what was really going on.

MLB also investigated Ohtani, but found no evidence that he had made any bets on sports or that he had any knowledge of Mizuhara's betting. Though the investigation found that Mizuhara had made hundreds of bets on sports, there is no evidence of him betting on baseball.

MLB closed its investigation into Ohtani in June, concluding that he had been a victim of Mizahura's theft and that there would be no charges against him. According to Blum, Mizuhara’s attorneys expect him to be deported following his sentence, as he is a permanent resident of the United States but not a citizen.

More Dodgers content from Dodgers Way

Home/LA Dodgers News

Schedule