Shohei Ohtani's Ex-Interpreter Pleads Guilty to Bank, Tax Fraud

Facts

• US federal prosecutors have said Ippei Mizuhara — former interpreter for Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher Shohei Ohtani — has agreed to plead guilty to fraud charges related to an alleged sports betting scandal that robbed Ohtani of nearly $17M.¹
• A US Attorney’s Office in California said Wednesday that Mizuhara will enter a plea deal in the 'coming weeks' for one count of bank fraud and one count of falsifying a tax return. His arraignment is scheduled for May 14.²
• Mizuhara had served as Ohtani’s 'translator and de facto manager' since Ohtani joined the Los Angeles Angels in 2018. He began stealing money to place illegal sports bets in September 2021 through impersonation and by doctoring account information.²
• Through March 2024, Mizuhara impersonated Ohtani at least 24 times in phone calls with bank employees and incurred nearly $41M in gambling losses. In 2022, he filed a false tax return that failed to report $4.1M to the IRS, resulting in him owing $1.15M in taxes.³
• Full terms of the plea deal will be determined at sentencing, but Mizuhara is expected to compensate Ohtani for the stolen $17M. His charges carry up to 33 years in federal prison, but he's reportedly expected to serve between 87 and 108 months.⁴
• Ohtani’s implication in the scandal, which rocked the sports world, surfaced in March. Federal prosecutors have repeatedly described him as a 'victim' who was deceived by his interpreter and friend.⁵

Sources: ¹CBS, ²United States Department of Justice, ³ESPN.com, ⁴MLB Trade Rumors and ⁵NBC.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Sportico.com. All things considered, Mizuhara’s plea deal is a positive development for Ohtani that will hopefully put this scandal to rest. By all accounts, Ohtani is a victim who was exploited by his interpreter and robbed of millions, and he deserves swift justice. In addition to compensating Ohtani for his losses, this plea deal will mark the end of this unfortunate saga and allow the best player in baseball to focus all his attention on the field.
• Narrative B, as provided by The Mirror. Everything has been suspiciously quiet around Shohei Ohtani, likely due to his status as one of the MLB's most profitable players. While it appears Ohtani is a victim here, the MLB seems to be applying a different standard to Ohtani’s case than it does to other events. While players like Trevor Bauer and Pete Rose were excommunicated without committing any crimes, Shohei Ohtani’s investigation ended quickly and without any substantive comment from the league.