Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, has chosen to plead guilty to bank fraud after allegedly stealing $17 million from the baseball star, the Central District of California District Attorney’s Office reported. Announced On Wednesday.
The bank fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Mizuhara will also plead guilty to one count of subscribing to a false tax return, which carries a sentence of up to three years.
He is expected to enter a guilty plea “in the coming weeks,” and his arraignment is scheduled for May 14.
The scandal surrounding Mizuhara shocked baseball fans from the United States to Japan when the news broke in March. Mizuhara took advantage of his personal and professional relationship with Ohtani to loot millions from the player’s account over the years, sometimes posing as Ohtani to bankers, prosecutors said.
Mizuhara’s winning bets totaled more than $142 million, which he deposited into his own bank account and not Ohtani’s. But his losing bets were around $183 million, a net loss of nearly $41 million. He didn’t bet on baseball.
There was no evidence that Ohtani was involved in or aware of Mizuhara’s gambling, and the player is cooperating with investigators, authorities said.
After news of the accusation broke in late March, the Dodgers moved to fire the performer, while MLB opened its own investigation.
MLB rules prohibit players and team employees from betting on baseball, even legally. The MLB also prohibits betting on other sports with illegal or foreign bookmakers.
Mizuhara has been free on a $25,000 unsecured bond, known colloquially as a signature bond, meaning he did not have to post any cash or collateral to be released.
If he violates bail conditions, which include a requirement to undergo treatment for gambling addiction, he will be forced to pay $25,000.
Ohtani has tried to focus on the field while the case moves through the courts. Hours after his former interpreter made his first court appearance in April, he hit his 175th MLB home run, tying Hideki Matsui for the most by a Japanese-born player, during the Dodgers’ 8-7 loss. against the San Diego Padres in the 11th inning.
