Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter of Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, is pleading guilty to the federal charges he’s facing of bank fraud and filing a false tax return.
According to ESPN’s Paula Lavigne, Mizuhara is pleading guilty to both charges and has an arraignment set for next Tuesday. Mizuhara, who was friends with Shohei Ohtani for 11 years, faces a potential 33-year prison sentence and more than $1 million in fines. He will formally plead guilty and receive “a reduced sentence,” Lavigne added:
“A sentencing date has not been set. The total maximum sentence Mizuhara could receive for both crimes would be 33 years imprisonment and fines of $1.25 million, but in exchange for his plea — outlined in the agreement released Wednesday — prosecutors would recommend a reduced sentence. The plea agreement says Mizuhara will be required to pay full restitution, or $16,975,010, to Ohtani.”
The news of Mizuhara’s alleged involvement with an illegal bookmaker came out in March. The allegations became front-page news because many fans naturally began to wonder if Ohtani himself was engaged in illegal gambling activities.
Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers, and Ohtani told reporters that he has never engaged in sports betting, nor has he asked anybody to do it for him. Ohtani told reporters that Mizuhara took his money and spread misinformation about the two-way star.
Also Read: Leaked Text Messages Expose Shocking Admission From Shohei Ohtani’s Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara
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Mizuhara allegedly gave the illegal bookmaker, Mathew Boyer, $4.5 million that came from Ohtani’s bank account. The 49-year-old Boyer allegedly ran an illegal gambling ring in Orange County, California.
Shohei Ohtani Has Put The Scandal Behind Him
The unfortunate actions of Mizuhara and the countless coverage of the scandal have not distracted Shohei Ohtani’s on-field performance whatsoever.
The $700 million man has been everything the Dodgers could have asked for through his first 38 games with the club. Ohtani is batting a ridiculous .355 (his career-high BA is .304 from last season) with 11 home runs, 27 RBI and an OPS of 1.103.
Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy have been practically unstoppable together at the top of the Dodgers’ lineup. We aren’t even two months into the season, and the Dodgers are already running away with the NL West crown.
But as usual, the Dodgers’ season will be measured by how they fare in October.
