Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter of international MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani, appeared in U.S. District Court on Friday after surrendering to law enforcement.
The 39-year-old faces charges of bank fraud after allegedly stealing upwards of $16 million from Ohtani to pay off gambling debts from an illegal bookmarker, the Department of Justice shared earlier this week.
Reportedly seen with shackles around his ankles, Mizuhara was released on a $25,000 bond and is expected to return to court for another hearing on May 9.
Mizuhara was also ordered to surrender his passport, barred from gambling or entering casinos, and must not contact Ohtani further, according to a report from The Athletic. The presiding judge also ordered Mizuhara to attend a program to treat gambling addiction and is expected to seek and maintain employment.
The hearing follows weeks of revelations surrounding the conduct of Mizuhara, including a 37-page filing released on Thursday outlining major details and revealing substantive information on the case, including major losses, records of phone calls from the former Los Angeles Dodgers employee fraudulently claiming to be Ohtani to obtain funds, and text messages between Mizuhara and his bookmaker.
According to reports, Mizuhara’s dealings with Ohtani’s bank accounts date back to 2018, as the interpreter reportedly helped the two-way star set up an account in Arizona as Ohtani first made his way over to North America.
The account, which received Ohtani’s MLB salary, was eventually subject to manipulation by Mizuhara some time in 2021 when he reportedly began betting on sports. According to The Athletic, Mizuhara reportedly “shielded access” to Ohtani’s accounts from his circle under the guise of the player wanting his account to remain private.
Ohtani in the clear, betrayed by friend
As for Ohtani and his place in the scandal, the Dodgers superstar released a brief statement via the Los Angeles Times prior to the Dodgers' Friday showdown with the San Diego Padres.
“I’m very grateful for the Department of Justice’s investigation,” Ohtani said via The LA Times' Jack Harris. “For me personally, this marks a break from this, and I’d like to focus on baseball.”
Ohtani also found his name cleared by the DOJ on Thursday, with text messages confirming that he hadn’t been made aware of the fraud until he ultimately fired the interpreter on March 20, or sometime in the few weeks prior to news becoming public.
Mizuhara also confirmed via text to illegal bookmaker Mathew Bowyer of Ohtani’s lack of involvement, noting to the bookie that “it’s over for me.”
Notably, the scandal marks a shocking twist to outsiders given how tight Ohtani and Mizuhara appeared to onlookers. First introduced in 2013 when Ohtani joined the NPB’s Nippon-Ham Fighters, Mizuhara had remained by Ohtani’s side as an interpreter and close friend. Ohtani even ensured that Mizuhara would swap teams with him when the MLB star switched teams this offseason, travelling up the I-5 with Ohtani to join the Dodgers. Mizuhara even served as something of an off-field assistant for Ohtani – hence his access to Ohtani’s financials.
Mizuhara now faces up to 30 years in prison for bank fraud and a maximum fine of up to $1 million.
