Shohei Ohtani’s Ex-Interpreter to Report to Prison by May 12

Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani, is set to report to prison by May 12, according to a court order unsealed this Monday. This latest surrender date is a nearly two-month delay from his original deadline of March 24, marking the end of a year of controversy that reverberated within the gambling industry, even implicating high-profile operators.

The Case Involved Tremendous Sums

Mizuhara’s attorney, Michael G. Freedman, filed a request on March 12 to postpone his surrender, a request granted under seal by the judge. However, federal prosecutors requested that the date be made public, leading to its unsealing last week. Freedman and the US Attorney for the Central District of California have not commented on this latest development.

Mizuhara was sentenced in February to 57 months in jail after he admitted to bank fraud and filing false tax returns. His crimes involved embezzling about $17 million from Ohtani to cover his spiraling gambling debts, which reached around $40 million. US District Judge John W. Holcomb described the fraud as staggering and noted that $17 million is an amount “most people wouldn’t see in a lifetime.”

As Ohtani’s close confidant and interpreter, Mizuhara exploited the baseball star’s limited knowledge of English to gain unauthorized access to his bank accounts. He impersonated Ohtani and conducted multiple wire transfers to pay off illegal bookmakers, deceiving financial institutions and violating federal law.

Ohtani Continued to Excel Despite the Scandal

During his sentencing, Mizuhara seemed remorseful, publicly apologizing to Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and his family. He took responsibility for his actions and accepted the consequences. Acting US Attorney Joseph T. McNally condemned Mizuhara’s actions, stating he had “lied, cheated, and stolen” from someone who had placed tremendous trust in him.

While Mizuhara’s defense cited his severe gambling addiction as a mitigating factor, federal prosecutors pushed for a harsh sentence due to the breach of trust and financial impact on Ohtani. Mizuhara, a permanent US resident but not a citizen, could face deportation after serving his sentence, especially considering the Trump administration’s harsh stance on immigration.

Mizuhara’s actions cast a shadow over the Dodgers’ 2024 season when the scandal surfaced. Despite the long-standing friendship between Ohtani and his interpreter, the athlete remained unfazed by the controversy and continued to perform for his team, leading them to a World Series victory and solidifying his legacy as one of his generation’s all-time great baseball players.