Mizuhara Enters Guilty Plea in Gambling Case

On Tuesday, Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter, admitted guilt to charges of bank and tax fraud during a change-of-plea hearing in federal court.

Altogether, the charges carry a potential sentence of 33 years, and he will learn his fate during the sentencing hearing on October 25th.

After exploiting his position and access to Ohtani’s funds, Mizuhara used the money to fuel his sports gambling addiction, ultimately embezzling almost $17 million from the athlete’s bank account.

Mizuhara’s explanation

As the Tuesday session came to an end, the judge requested that Mizuhara provide a detailed account of his actions.

“I was employed by Victim A (Ohtani) and had access to his bank account. I found myself in significant gambling debt and, in desperation, decided to use his funds to pay it off. With access to Bank A, I proceeded to transfer money from his account to cover my debts.”

Mizuhara could potentially be fined up to $1.25 million.

Legal proceedings against him commenced on April 11, with authorities alleging that Mizuhara had siphoned off significant sums of money from Ohtani in order to settle his gambling debts. The wagers, which took place between December 2021 and January 2026, were carried out without Ohtani’s knowledge, as stated in the initial complaint. In total, Mizuhara placed around 19,000 bets on sports other than baseball, resulting in $142 million in winnings but $182 million in losses.

Initially, Mizuhara entered a plea of not guilty on May 14, but this was simply a procedural step on the way to reaching a plea deal.

Ohtani cleared

In 2018, the interpreter assisted Ohtani in setting up his bank account and then changed the email and phone numbers linked to it to receive notifications.

Ohtani was kept unaware of the situation. Mizuhara admitted to pretending to be Ohtani during phone calls with bank representatives at least 24 times as part of a plea agreement, while the bank was trying to verify wire transfers.

Ohtani will not be penalized for being unaware of the scheme, and he has been exonerated of any misconduct.

In a statement released on March 25, Ohtani expressed his deep sadness and shock over the actions of someone he had trusted.

He emphasized that he has never placed bets on sports or knowingly transferred money to a bookmaker. He explained that someone has been taking money from his account without his consent and spreading false information. It is all a fabrication.