Former Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges
On June 4th, former Shohei Ohtani interpreter Ippei Mizuhara pled guilty to two federal counts, including bank fraud and subscribing to a fraudulent tax return.
Charges stem from Mizuhara’s theft of $17 million from Ohtani to settle his gambling debts with an illegal bookmaker. Mizuhara’s sentencing is scheduled for October 25th, where he faces a potential maximum penalty of 33 years in prison and a $1.5 million fine.
Mizuhara’s Court Appearance
Mizuhara appeared in the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse in Santa Ana, California where he admitted to Judge John A. Holcomb that he had misused his access to Ohtani’s accounts to transfer money to an illegal bookmaker.
This admission follows his April surrender to federal investigators, who uncovered his financial misconduct.
During the court session, Mizuhara explained his actions as a desperate attempt to pay off significant gambling debts. He stated, “I worked for Victim A and had access to his accounts. I had fallen into major gambling debt. The only way I could think of to pay that was to send money from Victim A’s account.”
The court, in collaboration with the U.S. Probation Office, will now prepare a pre-sentencing packet to assist Judge Holcomb in determining the appropriate sentence.
Media Frenzy Surrounding the Case
The case has attracted substantial media attention, with over 100 reporters present in and around the courtroom, temporarily causing congestion on Santa Ana’s 4th Street.
Despite the intense media presence, Mizuhara only spoke in response to questions from Judge Holcomb, and his attorney, Michael Freedman, declined to comment to the press.
Mizuhara’s gambling activities, while not directly linked to the Wayne Nix illegal gambling ring, were associated with betting through Mathew Bowyer, who is also under federal investigation. T
his case is part of a broader crackdown on illegal gambling operations. Nix is scheduled for sentencing in September, while former Las Vegas casino executive Scott Sibella received a sentence of one year probation and a $9,500 fine for failing to report suspicious activity related to Nix’s gambling at the MGM Grand.
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