SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A former interpreter for a Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani He pleaded guilty to bank fraud and tax evasion on Tuesday, admitting to stealing about $17 million from Japanese baseball players to pay off sports betting debts.
Mizuhara Ippei The crime shocked the baseball world and shattered Ohtani’s shadowy image in ballparks across the U.S. He pleaded guilty in federal court in Santa Ana, California.
The former interpreter Personal and professional relationship with Ohtani Looting millions of dollars from two-way players’ accounts Mizuhara had denied the allegations for years, sometimes posing as Otani to bank employees. He signed a plea agreement detailing the charges on May 5 and prosecutors announced it days later.
Mizuhara’s lawyers declined to comment outside court. Mizuhara briefly admitted his guilt in court. “I worked for Victim A and had access to his bank account and he had large gambling debts,” he said in court. “I transferred money to his bank account.”
there was There is no evidence that Otani was involved Or players who are unaware of Suwon’s gambling. Cooperated with investigatorsAuthorities revealed this.
Martin Estrada, the U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said after the hearing that Otani was particularly vulnerable.
“Mr. Ohtani is an immigrant to this country who is unfamiliar with the ways of this country, which made him an easy prey for individuals familiar with our financial system,” Estrada said, adding that his office had set up a vulnerable victims task force to investigate fraud against senior citizens and immigrant groups.
Estrada said Mizuhara could face a range of penalties, including possible deportation to Japan.
Ohtani expressed relief after the hearing and thanked his team, family and the Dodgers organization for their “constant support throughout this process. It’s time for me to close this chapter, move forward and continue to focus on playing and winning games.”
“The completion of the investigation and my full admission of guilt marks a major closure for me and my family,” Otani said. “I am extremely grateful to the authorities for swiftly completing their thorough and effective investigation and for uncovering all evidence.”
Mizuhara’s winnings totaled more than $142 million, which went into his own account, not Ohtani’s. But he lost about $183 million, for a net loss of nearly $41 million. He did not bet on baseball. Mizuhara used some of the money to pay for dental work, Estrada said.
Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank fraud and filing a false tax return. The bank fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison, and the false tax return charge carries a maximum sentence of three years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 25.
He is also required to pay restitution to Ohtani totaling about $17 million and more than $1 million to the Internal Revenue Service, though those amounts could change prior to sentencing.
Federal prosecutor Jeff Mitchell said in court that Mizuhara was hired as an interpreter for major league players who didn’t speak English and translated between the players and their financial advisers who didn’t speak Japanese. In 2018, Mizuhara helped the players open bank accounts in Phoenix to deposit their paychecks and also received login information for those accounts, Mitchell said.
Mitchell said Mizuhara couldn’t pay his sports betting debts, so he would deceive banks into withdrawing money from his accounts to repay them. He would sign into his accounts online and change his registered phone number and email address so that communications would go directly to Mizuhara instead of the players. Between 2021 and 2024, Mizuhara made multiple wire transfers from the accounts and received a six-digit code from the bank to complete the transactions, Mitchell said.
Mizuhara’s plea deal was negotiated with prosecutors before he was arraigned in federal court in Los Angeles in mid-May. He was originally charged with bank fraud.
Los Angeles Times and ESPN After news of the prosecution broke in late March, the Dodgers fired their interpreter. MLB launches its own investigation.
MLB Rules Prohibition on players and team employees Betting on baseball is prohibited even though it is legal, and MLB also prohibits betting on other sports through illegal or overseas bookmakers.
Mizuhara’s hearing came hours after MLB suspended the San Diego Padres infielder. Tucupita Marcano Marcano has been banned for life from baseball following a new gambling scandal. MLB said Marcano made 387 bets on baseball games totaling more than $150,000 at legal sportsbooks between October 2022 and July-November of last year. Marcano is the first active player this century to be banned for life for gambling. Four others were also suspended on Tuesday.
Prosecutors declined to comment Tuesday when asked about Marcano.
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Dazio reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writer Jamie Ding in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
