The former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has agreed to plead guilty to two federal criminal charges related to a gambling scandal that rocked the baseball world earlier this year, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
Ippei Mizuhara has agreed to plead guilty to charges of bank fraud and subscribing to a false tax return, as stated by the Justice Department in a press release on May 8. The bank fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison, while the false tax return charge could result in up to three years in prison.
The announcement revealed that Mizuhara allegedly transferred nearly $17 million from Ohtani’s bank account without his permission to cover gambling debts.
Mizuhara, 39, is expected to enter his plea in the coming weeks, with an arraignment scheduled for May 14. NBC News was unable to reach Mizuhara’s attorney for comment.
“The scale of this defendant’s deception and theft is staggering,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada in a statement. “He exploited his position of trust to manipulate Mr. Ohtani and fuel his gambling addiction.”
This plea deal was announced nearly a month after federal prosecutors filed a criminal complaint on April 11, alleging bank fraud against Mizuhara. The complaint indicated that Mizuhara had unlawfully transferred over $16 million from Ohtani’s account without his knowledge, beginning in 2021.
At a March 25 press conference, Ohtani stated that Mizuhara had been stealing from him and lying, and emphasized that he had no involvement in the scandal.
