Ippei Mazuhara sentenced to nearly five years in prison for defrauding Shohei Ohtani

Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter of Shohei Ohtani, has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison for stealing around $17million for the Los Angeles Dodgers star to repay gambling debts. Federal prosecutors were seeking a prison sentence of four years and nine months for Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between Ohtani and his English-speaking teammates and fans as the duo traveled from Southern California to ballparks across the U.S.

But Mizuhara exploited the Japanese-English language barrier to isolate Ohtani and profit from his proximity to the two-way player's power. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge John W. Holcomb handed down a 57-month sentence and three years of supervised release. He also ordered him to pay nearly $17 million in restitution to Ohtani and $1.1 million to the IRS. 'I want to say I am truly sorry to Mr. Ohtani for what I have done,' Mizuhara said in court.

Facing up to 33 years in prison, Mizuhara appeared in federal court in the Orange County city of Santa Ana, where he pleaded guilty last year to bank and tax fraud. Mizuhara was accused of stealing money to cover his growing gambling bets and debts with an illegal bookmaker, in addition to $325,000 worth of baseball cards and his own dental bills. Ippei Mizuhara arrives for his sentencing at the Ronald Reagan Federal Building in California.

Ippei Mizuhara (right) exploited the Japanese-English language barrier to isolate Shohei Ohtani and profit from his proximity to the two-way player's power, according to prosecutors. His attorney, Michael G. Freedman, said he expects Mizuhara, a Japanese citizen, to be deported. The case affected arguably the world's most famous baseball player - who previously pitched for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - and stoked an international media frenzy. It stemmed from a broader probe into illegal sports bookmaking organizations in Southern California and the laundering of proceeds through casinos in Las Vegas that has netted a dozen defendants.

'His years-long theft of funds from Mr. Ohtani and the myriad lies he told to Mr. Ohtani's agents and financial advisors to cover up his theft represent a calculated betrayal of the very person he was hired to help,' prosecutors wrote in court papers. Mizuhara's lawyer had asked for an 18-month sentence, citing the interpreter's long-standing gambling addiction. 'Mr. Mizuhara's addiction was drastic,' Freedman said in court. 'Astronomical sums were involved.'.

In a letter to the court, Mizuhara described his financial strain and addiction to gambling, which he had hoped would alleviate his money problems. He also professed his admiration of Ohtani, and his remorse. 'I am asking for a little mercy from the court concerning my sentence you will hand down,' Mizuhara wrote. 'I truly admire Shohei as a baseball player and a human being and I was committed to devote my life so Shohei can be the best version of himself on the field. I want to say I am truly sorry for violating his trust in me.'.

Federal investigators believe Mizuhara won $142 million across 19,000 wagers between September of 2021 and January of 2024. However, those winnings were deposited into his own account, while Mizuhara used Ohtani's to cover his losses, which totaled around $183 million – a difference of $41 million. Bowyer, left, a Southern California bookmaker, arrives with his attorney, Diane Bass in August. Mizuhara faces up to 33 years in prison and will be sentenced in California on Thursday.

Investigators did not find any evidence Mizuhara wagered on baseball, nor could they prove that Ohtani was even aware of the theft, much less the gambling. One of Mizuhara's bookies, Mathew Bowyer, never directly asked Mizuhara if he was actually placing the bets for Ohtani, but said he could tell that the translator was going rogue. 'It was very obvious after some time he was stealing money and not asking Ohtani for permission,' Bowyer told The New York Post, adding that Mizuhara wired him $500,000 every two weeks at one point.

'He never acted as if the dollar amounts impacted him for one second. He was so polite and so respectful,' Bowyer said. Mizuhara accessed Ohtani's account beginning in 2021 and changed its security protocols so he could impersonate him to authorize wire transfers. By 2024, Mizuhara had used the money to buy about $325,000 worth of baseball cards at online resellers and had bet tens of millions of dollars that weren't his to wager on international soccer, the NBA, the NFL and college football.

Prosecutors said Mizuhara never bet on baseball, and Ohtani was an unknowing victim of the scheme. 'Let there be no doubt, Mr. Ohtani is truly a victim and has suffered, and will continue to suffer, harm from defendant's conduct,' prosecutors wrote. Michael G. Freedman, Mizuhara's attorney, wrote in court filings that his client is a gambling addict who made a 'terrible mistake' and has suffered from a loss of a job and reputation. Mizuhara takes responsibility for his actions and expects to be deported to his native Japan after serving time, Freedman wrote while asking for a sentence of one and a half years.