Ippei Mizuhara, who once served as the interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for stealing close to $17 million from the MLB player.
In May 2024, Mizuhara, 40, pleaded guilty to charges of bank fraud and submitting a false tax return. During the sentencing, he expressed regret for his actions, saying, “I want to sincerely apologize to Mr. Ohtani for my wrongdoing.”
Mizuhara admitted to misappropriating funds from one of Ohtani’s personal bank accounts. Acting as both interpreter and informal manager due to Ohtani’s limited English, Mizuhara exploited his access to take control of the athlete’s financial affairs.
Scheme Details
In 2018, Mizuhara assisted Ohtani in opening the bank account, only to later impersonate him in dealings with bank staff. On more than 20 occasions, Mizuhara convinced bank officials to approve unauthorized wire transfers without Ohtani’s awareness.
The stolen money was primarily funneled to cover Mizuhara’s gambling debts. A significant portion went to an illegal bookmaker in California, Matthew Bowyer. Mizuhara’s attorney, Michael G. Freedman, described his client’s gambling addiction as severe and destructive.
Bowyer reportedly lost $7.9 million gambling at Resorts World between mid-2022 and late 2023, according to sources familiar with the investigation. This led federal agents to include him in a broader probe into illegal betting activities and potential money laundering at Las Vegas casinos. While under investigation, Bowyer has not yet been formally charged.
Sentencing and Restitution
The court sentenced Mizuhara to almost five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay nearly $17 million in restitution to Ohtani and an additional $1.1 million to the IRS.
“The scale of this theft is staggering,” remarked U.S. District Judge John W. Holcomb. “Seventeen million dollars is more than most people will ever see in a lifetime. Whether Mr. Mizuhara can repay this amount remains uncertain.”
Joseph T. McNally, acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, said that Mizuhara had betrayed a position of immense trust.
“He was given a rare opportunity—trusted by a global superstar—and tragically chose to exploit that trust for personal gain,” McNally stated. “What could have been a remarkable success story turned into a cautionary tale of greed and deception.