Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani can relax now. His former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, finally received a verdict on February 6, getting sentenced to around five years in federal prison due to the charges of stealing money from Ohtani’s bank account. An MLB insider, Sam Blum, confirms that he will have to pay around $17 million and have three years of release under supervision. So, what’s the main issue that occurred? 

Well, Ippei Mizuhara was found guilty of federal charges in June 2024 for transferring approximately $17 million from his Shohei account to other people, which left Ohtani in shock. Mizuhara was assigned as an interpreter to bridge the gap between the Japanese superstar and his teammates and fans, who speak English. The news shocked Shohei Ohtani in 2024 when he learned that he had been cheated for a long time by his trusted, now former interpreted, Ippei Mizuhara.

The 40-year-old interpreter was found transferring good amounts of money from Ohtani’s account to pay his gambling debts, even imitating the Japanese superstar while connecting with the bank. Post the verdict given by the country, on February 7, Sam Blum shared the news on his X handle: “Ippei Mizuhara was sentenced to 57 months in prison. Beginning on March 24. He will have three years of supervised release and is ordered to pay restitution of nearly $17 million to Shohei Ohtani. Gov’t got the sentence they requested. Mizuhara asked for 18 months.”

Blum confirmed that Ippei Mizuhara countered his sentence, seeking 18 months of stay in federal prison instead of 57 months. He should surrender to the concerned authorities within March 24, considering the severity and nature of such theft. The District Judge, John W. Holcomb, said that the amount stolen by Mizuhara is huge, which most people do not earn in their entire lives, and that is what makes it so severe. However, while addressing the court, Mizuhara apologized for what he did, especially with the increasing gambling bets with a bookmaker, which led to the transfer of funds from Ohtani’s account. 

Mizuhara’s transition from a trusted friend to a manipulator

Ippei Mizuhara was not just an interpreter who bridged the gaps in language between the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Shohei Ohtani and others. Mizuhara used to be the trusted right-hand man for the MLB superstar, who spent most of his time with Ohtani, managing his everyday activities and financials. But this is what made it easier for Mizuhara to gain access to his bank account details and more, thus gaining full control over the funds and ultimately exploiting the trust of Ohtani. But that’s not all!

Shohei Ohtani remained unaware of Mizuhara’s misdeeds. He made calls to the bank and managed the authentication process to send various codes on his phone number, and then managed wire transfers to pay his gambling debts and make extravagant purchases. Mizuhara’s gambling activities included bets of around $183 million in terms of losses and $142 million in winnings that were carried out with the involvement of an illegal bookmaker.

Although Mizuhara’s involvement in the bets was not found, his stealing money had been blamed mainly. While Ippei Mizuhara is approaching his sentence on March 24, the incident has highlighted the vulnerabilities of the high-profile athletes while indicating the consequences of betrayal by someone whom Ohtani trusted the most. Do you think that the sentence is justified in this case? Let us know in the comment below.