The former Japanese-language interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, Ippei Mizuhara, has agreed to plead guilty to federal criminal charges for illegally transferring almost $17 million from Ohtani’s bank account – without Ohtani’s knowledge or permission.
Mizuhara, 39, of Newport Beach, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return. These charges carry maximum sentences of 30 years and three years in federal prison, respectively.
The Justice Department announced on Wednesday that Mizuhara’s actions were aimed at paying off his own substantial gambling debts incurred with an illegal bookmaking operation and signing a false tax return.
According to the plea agreement filed, Mizuhara was the translator and de facto manager of Shohei Ohtani, regularly interacting with Ohtani’s sports agents and financial advisors on behalf of Ohtani, who did not speak English. Although Mizuhara was an employee of the Los Angeles Angels MLB team and later the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani paid him separately for additional work.
Beginning in September 2021, Mizuhara began placing sports bets with an illegal bookmaker and quickly became indebted. To cover his debts, he orchestrated a scheme to fraudulently obtain money from Ohtani’s bank account. Mizuhara changed the account’s security protocols without Ohtani’s knowledge, including the registered email address and telephone number, to divert bank verification calls to himself.
Mizuhara impersonated Ohtani to deceive the bank’s employees into authorizing wire transfers from the account, totaling almost $17 million, which were used to pay off his gambling debts.
The scheme came to light after Mizuhara transferred $500,000 to one of the bookmaker’s associates on June 20, 2023, without Ohtani’s permission.
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has cautioned institutions and communities located around NAF Bases nationwide to desist from illegal encroachment on NAF lands, emphasizing its consequences on national security.
