Ippei Mizuhara, the former performer for Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, has agreed to plead guilty in federal court to stealing millions of dollars from Ohtani to cover his gambling debts, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The 39-year-old Japanese-language interpreter reached a plea deal on one count of bank fraud and subscribing to a federal tax return, the Justice Department said. Mizuhara faces up to 33 years in federal prison for the two crimes, which authorities say he committed as part of a scheme to surreptitiously steal more than $17 million from Ohtani to pay off a D County bookie. ‘Orange.
March’s blockbuster revelation that the Dodgers had fired Mizuhara amid an investigation into allegations he stole Ohtani’s money and gambled on sports shocked the baseball world. Federal authorities last month cleared Ohtani of any wrongdoing related to the scheme, calming widespread speculation about potential fallout from the scandal on his baseball career and possible criminal charges.
Mizuhara has not yet formally entered a plea, according to DOJ spokesperson Ciaran McEvoy. McEvoy said Wednesday that he expects Mizuhara to “plead guilty in the coming weeks.”
“The scale of this defendant’s deception and theft is enormous,” the U.S. Attorney said. Martin Estrada said in a press release. “He used his position of trust to take advantage of Mr. Ohtani and fuel a dangerous gambling habit. My office is committed to vindicating victims throughout our community and ensuring that perpetrators are brought to justice.”
California Daily Newspapers
