Japanese baseball great Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges he fraudulently wired nearly $17 million stolen from the athlete's bank account to pay off his own gambling debts, court records showed.

Los Angeles

Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter, Ipe Mizuhara, has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges for wire fraud and filing a false tax return after embezzling nearly $17 million from Ohtani's bank account. The court documents reveal Mizuhara used the stolen funds to pay off his own gambling debts. The plea agreement was filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, indicating a conclusion to the case that involves the former translator, who also acted as a de facto manager for Ohtani, a pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Mizuhara, 39, confessed to transferring the money to an illegal bookmaking operation without the baseball player's consent, according to the details outlined in the court filings. His crimes include one count of felony bank fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return. The charge of federal bank fraud alone carries a penalty of up to 30 years in prison. Mizuhara is expected to formally enter his plea at a hearing scheduled for May 14, following a previous court order that he undergo treatment for gambling addiction and avoid contact with gambling entities and Ohtani.

Mizuhara's bail was set at $25,000, under the condition he meets the court's requirements ahead of his next appearance. The sentencing, which will mark the final stage of this legal case, will be determined after his plea has been officially registered. This incident sheds light on the unfortunate exploitation of one of baseball's leading figures, Shohei Ohtani, by a trusted member of his team.



Baseball star Ohtani's ex-interpreter to admit fraud

Japanese baseball star Shohei Otani's former interpreter will plead guilty to charges he stole millions from the athlete's bank account to pay off his own gambling debts. The deal between federal prosecutors and Ipe Mizuhara was filed on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, where the case was first brought. The one-time translator and de facto manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers power-hitting pitcher was accused of embezzling nearly $17 million from a bank account of Otani's. He allegedly transferred the funds without the ballplayer's knowledge to an illegal bookmaking operation to cover his gambling debts. In the agreement, the 39-year-old agreed to plead guilty to one count of felony bank fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return. A federal bank fraud conviction is punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Mizuhara is next due to appear in court on May 14 for a formal arraignment. According to a U.S. attorney's spokesperson, he would likely enter his plea at a subsequent hearing and be sentenced sometime after that. In the meantime, Mizuhara remains free on a $25,000 bond on condition he complies with the judge's order last month to undergo gambling addiction treatment and refrain from any contact with bookmakers, gambling establishments, or Otani.

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