Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison after admitting to stealing nearly $17 million from the baseball superstar. The money was stolen to cover Mizuhara’s extensive gambling debts, which had accumulated over several years. In addition to his prison sentence, Mizuhara was ordered to pay restitution of $17 million to Ohtani and $1.1 million to the IRS.

The exploitation of trust:

The judge overseeing the case, U.S. District Judge John W. Holcomb, described the theft as “shockingly high,” noting that most individuals would never earn such an amount throughout their lifetime. According to ESPN, Judge Holcomb expressed hope that Mizuhara might eventually repay the stolen funds, although he acknowledged the difficulty of such a task. He stated: “I hope that Mr. Mizuhara will be able to repay that sum. That remains to be seen.”

Mizuhara’s betrayal of Ohtani, his long-time friend and client, came to light after a federal investigation uncovered his role in the theft. According to prosecutors, Mizuhara had exploited his position to gain access to Ohtani’s personal accounts, using his inside knowledge to impersonate Ohtani during communications with the bank. Over the course of his employment as Ohtani’s interpreter since 2018, Mizuhara leveraged his trust to siphon large sums from Ohtani’s funds.

In addition to his prison sentence, Mizuhara will face three years of supervised release after serving his time. Both prosecutors and Mizuhara’s attorney, Michael G. Freedman, expect that the convicted man, a Japanese citizen, will be deported once he completes his sentence.

Mizuhara’s crime was driven by his growing gambling debts, which prosecutors revealed amounted to more than $40 million. His gambling activities included betting on sports events such as NBA, NFL, and international soccer games. He reportedly placed around 19,000 bets over a two-year period. According to court documents, Mizuhara averaged around 25 bets a day, each bet totaling about $12,800. The total of his gambling losses reached a staggering $182 million, with his winnings falling far short, amounting to approximately $142 million.

Mizuhara’s attorney argued that his client suffered from a gambling addiction, suggesting that this addiction was exacerbated by the large amounts of credit the illegal bookmaker extended to him. However, federal prosecutors contended that there was little evidence to support the claim of a longstanding addiction. They noted that Mizuhara’s gambling activities only began after he started embezzling money from Ohtani. Mizuhara, they argued, was simply trying to cover up his theft.

The impact on Ohtani and his legacy:

For Shohei Ohtani, the betrayal was not just a financial blow but also a personal one. The two men had developed a close working relationship, with Mizuhara helping Ohtani transition into Major League Baseball when he signed with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018. Ohtani, who is one of the most successful and marketable athletes in the world, faced financial and emotional fallout from Mizuhara’s actions.

Following the scandal’s revelation, Ohtani publicly expressed his shock and disappointment. “Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has been telling lies,” Ohtani said after the story broke, as CBS Sports reported. He clarified that he had no involvement in the gambling activities that Mizuhara had pursued and that he had been unaware of the illegal transactions occurring under his name.

The Dodgers fired Mizuhara just one day into the 2024 MLB season, immediately after the news of the scandal broke. Ohtani’s legal team has declined to comment further on the matter.

During his sentencing, Mizuhara did not dispute the charges, admitting to impersonating Ohtani in communication with the bank and expressing his regret. He apologized to Ohtani before the judge issued the sentence.

Prosecutors had recommended a lengthy sentence of 57 months, and the judge sided with them, expressing concerns over Mizuhara’s credibility and the extent of his deceit. Mizuhara’s defense attorney had requested a much shorter term, arguing that his client’s actions were driven by a gambling addiction, but the judge did not find this explanation compelling.