Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter of Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, has been sentenced to 57 months in prison for stealing $17 million (approximately ₹141 crore) from the baseball icon to fund his gambling addiction and repay massive betting debts.
Mizuhara had been a longtime associate of the Japanese baseball star, serving as his interpreter with both the Los Angeles Angels and the Dodgers before Ohtani signed his record-breaking free-agent contract for the 2024 season.
US District Court Judge John W. Holcomb delivered the verdict, which also includes three years of supervised probation following Mizuhara’s prison term. Additionally, he has been ordered to pay ₹141 crore in restitution to Ohtani, along with ₹9.2 crore ($1.1 million) to the Internal Revenue Service for tax-related offenses.
Ippei Mizuhara issues apology to Shohei Ohtani
According to multiple media reports, during the sentencing, Mizuhara publicly apologized to Ohtani, stating, “I want to say I am truly sorry to Mr. Ohtani for what I have done. However, despite his expression of remorse, Judge Holcomb imposed the full sentence recommended by prosecutors, citing concerns over Mizuhara’s lack of complete honesty in his pre-sentencing statement.
Mizuhara’s attorney, Michael G. Freedman, argued that his client had been lured into excessive gambling due to special privileges granted by bookmakers. Due to his access to Ohtani’s vast wealth, Mizuhara was allowed to place extraordinarily high-stakes bets, leading to a downward spiral of debt.
"The scale of his gambling addiction was extreme," Freedman said in court. "He was wagering astronomical amounts."
However, the court remained unmoved by this argument, and Mizuhara received a substantial prison sentence. His lawyer also speculated that he might be deported to Japan following his jail term.
