U.S. Attorney: Shohei Ohtani’s Ex-Interpreter ‘Preyed Upon’ Dodgers Star
Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally said Ippei Mizuhara, the disgraced interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, “took advantage of Mr. Ohtani’s vulnerability as a non-English speaking person trying to navigate the celebrity baseball world in the United States.”
McNally made his comments outside the Santa Ana, California courthouse in which Mizuhara was sentenced by a federal judge Thursday to 57 months in prison.
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“Our prosecutors … spent hours and hours sifting through text messages, email communications, bank records, and conducting interviews,” McNally said. “All of that points to one conclusion: Mr. Ohtani is a victim in this case. He was taken advantage of, and he was preyed upon by Mr. Mizuhara … His behavior was shameless.”
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McNally also said Mizuhara impersonated Ohtani on the phone 24 times in order to access Ohtani’s bank account, stealing about $17 million.
“This case is a high-profile version of something that unfortunately happens all the time: an unscrupulous person takes advantage of the trust placed in them to victimize a vulnerable individual,” McNally said.
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IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher said Mizuhara accrued his gambling debts by placing more than 19,000 bets over a period of two and a half years.
Mizuhara pleaded guilty last year to bank and tax fraud. His lawyer, Michael G. Freedman, had asked for a sentence of 18 months. Judge John W. Holcomb sided with federal prosecutors’ request for 57 months.
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Because Mizuhara is not a U.S. citizen, Freedman said, he is likely to be deported to Japan.
McNally agreed with that assessment, noting that civil authorities will handle the matter in short order. While the mechanics of deportation have yet to be determined, McNally said typically deportation would occur after a sentence has been served, if Mizuhara no longer has lawful status in the U.S.
Mizuhara’s sentencing ends a saga that rocked Major League Baseball and its brightest star just as Ohtani was beginning his first season in Los Angeles. The league also investigated the matter; like the federal government, MLB exonerated Ohtani of any wrongdoing.
Ohtani went on to win the National League Most Valuable Player award in 2024, hitting 54 home runs and stealing 59 bases, while leading the Dodgers to a five-game World Series victory over the New York Yankees.
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