CNN
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Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani said he was “closed” and ready to “move on” after his longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, pleaded guilty in court Tuesday to fraud and of tax charges for stealing nearly $17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger to pay for his gambling. debts.
“Now that the investigation is complete, this full admission of guilt has provided closure for me and my family. I would like to sincerely thank the authorities for completing their thorough and effective investigation so quickly and uncovering all the evidence,” Ohtani said in a statement.
“This has been a particularly difficult time, so I am especially grateful to my support team – my family, my agent, my agency, my lawyers and my advisors as well as the entire Dodger organization, who have demonstrated Endless support throughout this process. It’s time to close this chapter, move forward and continue to focus on playing and winning games.
Mizuhara, 39, reached a plea deal last month in which he agreed to plead guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of filing a false tax return, according to the Justice Department .
In court Tuesday, he formally pleaded guilty and indicated he understood all the charges and the consequences. When Judge John W. Holcomb asked him to describe in his own words what he had done, Mizuhara said the “only way” he could think of to free himself from his gambling debts was to use the money from Ohtani’s account to pay what he owed.
He faces up to 30 years in prison for bank fraud and up to three years for false tax returns. His sentencing is scheduled for October 25.
Bill Robles/AP
In this courtroom sketch, defense attorney Michael G. Freedman, left, and Ippei Mizuhara appear before U.S. District Judge John Holcomb in federal court in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Ohtani’s statement and Mizuhara’s guilty plea represent the end of a saga that first became public in March, on the eve of the MLB season. The scandal upended what was seen as a close friendship between the Japanese star and his performer and sparked renewed scrutiny over the normalization and legalization of sports gambling in recent years.
The court hearing also came on the same day that MLB banned San Diego Padres player Tucupita Marcano for life after betting on games and suspended four other players for a year for betting on games while They were in the minor leagues.
Speaking after the hearing, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said evidence showed Ohtani was victimized by Mizuhara. He linked the case to other frauds committed against elderly people and immigrant groups.
“Mr. Ohtani is an immigrant, he came to this country, he does not know the ways of this country and therefore was easily preyed upon by someone who knows our financial systems better and was able to take advantage of Mr. Ohtani” , Estrada said.
Prosecutors have not yet decided what they are looking for in sentencing, but they will follow sentencing guidelines, which may require a sentence less than the maximum, Estrada said. “That being said, given the extent of the conduct here, the sentence will likely be one that calls for incarceration,” he added.
Mizuhara began placing sports bets with an illegal bookmaker in September 2021, then stole from Ohtani to cover his debts, authorities said.
“On or before November 2021 to March 2024, Mizuhara used Ohtani’s password to successfully log into the bank account and then changed the account’s security protocols without Ohtani’s knowledge or permission “, said the Ministry of Justice. “In total, Mizuhara called the bank and pretended to be Ohtani on approximately 24 occasions.”
According to a court document, Mizuhara “fraudulently transferred and deliberately caused to be transferred approximately $16.5 million.” Prosecutors alleged Mizuhara used the money to pay off debts and illegal gambling expenses, including $60,000 on personal dental work and $325,000 on baseball cards.
From December 2021 to January 2024, Mizuhara made a remarkable 19,000 bets, with net losses of $40.7 million, the criminal complaint states.
Ohtani, who has denied any wrongdoing, is considered a victim in the case, prosecutors said.
Aude Guerrucci/Reuters
Shohei Ohtani, left, and his interpreter at the time, Ippei Mizuhara, speak on December 14, 2023.
“The scale of this defendant’s deception and theft is enormous,” Estrada said last month. “He took advantage of his position of trust to take advantage of Mr. Ohtani and fuel a dangerous gambling habit.”
The Justice Department said Mizuhara admitted he owed more than $1.1 million in taxes for 2022 and that IRS Criminal Investigations and Homeland Security were looking into the matter.
Mizuhara, who is free on $25,000 bail, could be deported because he is not a U.S. citizen, according to the plea agreement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Mizuhara is a legal permanent resident who has a green card, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California told CNN.
Mizuhara and Ohtani, who does not speak English, first worked together from 2013 to 2017 on the Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball League team, the Nippon-Ham Fighters, where Mizuhara worked as an interpreter for players non-Japanese, according to MLB.com. Mizuhara then became Ohtani’s interpreter during his rookie season with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018.
Ohtani played six seasons with the Angels as both a slugger and pitcher, twice winning the American League Most Valuable Player Award. This past offseason, he signed a historic 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers.
The allegations against Mizuhara came to light in March when, after a report by ESPN and the Los Angeles Times, Ohtani’s lawyers accused Mizuhara of “massive theft” of millions of dollars and of betting with a bookmaker making l the subject of a federal investigation.
In April, Ohtani said he was “very grateful for the Justice Department’s investigation,” according to a statement made to CNN by his representatives. “For me personally, this marks a break and I would like to concentrate on baseball.”
Despite the scandal, Ohtani excelled in his first year with the Dodgers and remains one of the best hitters in baseball.