Ippei Mizuhara, former performer of Shohei Ohtani, pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud related to the sports betting scandal surrounding the Los Angeles Dodgers star.
Mizuhara pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Santa Ana, California. He changed his plea to not guilty, which was initially a procedural move. Mizuhara's lawyer declined to comment outside of court, according to The Associated Press.
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Ippei Mizuhara, former performer for Los Angeles Dodgers baseball star Shohei Ohtani, arrives at federal court in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Damián Dovarganes)
“I worked for Victim A and had access to his bank account and he had incurred a large gambling debt. I went ahead and transferred money… to his bank account,” Mizuhara said in a brief statement.
Mizuhara took advantage of his relationship with Ohtani to steal millions from the player's account over the years and sometimes even impersonate Ohtani to bankers.
The former interpreter's winning bets totaled more than $142 million, which he deposited in his own bank account and not in Ohtani's. His losing bets were around $183 million. He didn't bet on baseball.
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Ippei Mizuhara pleaded guilty on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, to bank and tax fraud in a sports betting case in which he is expected to admit to stealing nearly $17 million from Shohei Ohtani. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer, File)
There was no indication that Ohtani was betting on baseball.
He pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return as part of a plea agreement. The bank fraud charge carries a maximum of 30 years in federal prison and the false tax return charge carries a sentence of up to three years in federal prison.
Ohtani was also ordered to pay restitution that could total around $17 million and more than $1 million to the IRS.
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, right, speaks with interpreter Ippei Mizuhara during the ninth inning of an Opening Day baseball game against the San Diego Padres at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, Korea of the South, on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 in Seoul. South Korea. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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Mizuhara will be sentenced on October 25.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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