IPPEI Mizuhara, former Shohei Ohtani interpreter, sentenced to almost 5 years in prison

Ippei Mizuhara, the former star of Dodger Shohei Ohtani interpreter for a long time And a close friend, was sentenced to 57 months, or almost 5 years, in prison for bank fraud and fake tax declaration charges, Laist confirmed.

Mizuhara, 40, appeared before Judge John W. Holcomb in the Federal Building Ronald Reagan and the US court in Santa Ana on Thursday afternoon.

It could have been sentenced to a maximum of 33 years in prison, but federal prosecutors were looking for 57 months.

Michael G. Freedman, Mizuhara’s lawyer, was looking for a sentence of 18 months, according to a separate judicial presentation. He cited Mizuhara’s alleged game addictionthat Freedman said he tried for decades.

On the sentence

Mizuhara has been ordered to pay almost $ 17 million in restitution and a little more than $ 1 million to IRS, according to the United States prosecutor’s office.

He is ready to surrender to prison on March 24.

The Mizuhara sentence was delayed several times, with the original October date coinciding with the Ohtani World Series debut against the New York Yankees.

How we get here

It has been almost a year since the scandal emerged.

The accusations that Mizuhara had been involved in the game and the robbery were the first reported In March, while the Dodgers were in Seoul, South Korea, to start the 2024 season with a couple of games against the parents.

The Dodgers fired Mizuhara, and days later, Major League Baseball announced that he would open his own research In the accusations.

In April, Mizuhara was accused of stealing almost $ 17 million from Ohtani to finance his “voracious appetite for sports bets,” said the United States prosecutor Martin Estrada.

Mizuhara agreed to declare himself guilty, in an agreement with federal prosecutors a few weeks later, illegally transfer the money, without Ohtani’s knowledge or permit, and for signing a false tax declaration.

MLB research

Major League Baseball closed his research in Ohtani in June, shortly after Mizuhara declared himself guilty and the league took disciplinary measures against Two other players For sports bets.

MLB said in a statement which considers Ohtani a “fraud victim”, echoing prosecutors in the case.

The Dodgers also launched a statement: “With today’s plea in criminal procedures against IPPEI Mizuhara and the conclusion of federal and MLB investigations, dodgers are pleased that Shohei and the team can leave this matter behind and advance in the search for a title of the World Series “.

The boys of Azul were Win the World Series against the Yankees, becoming eight times champion In October.