This week marked a significant update in the case surrounding former Los Angeles Dodgers employee Ippei Mizuhara.
Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter was fired by the team and subject to league and federal investigations after revealing that he stole millions from Ohtani in order to pay off gambling debts.
Manager Dave Roberts and the Dodgers remained relatively quiet on the subject, often deferring to the league and legal process.
But on Tuesday, Mizuhara officially pled guilty to the crimes of bank and tax fraud as it relates to the stolen funds from Ohtani.
This led MLB to officially close their investigation, clearing Ohtani of any wrongdoing and allowing the Dodgers to move forward with the 2024 season with no more talk of the controversy. The Dodgers also released a statement on the subject with a similar tone.
Roberts, who has not spoken much about the topic this season, is happy that Ohtani and the Dodgers can put everything behind them, according to Jack Harris of The L.A. Times:
“Honestly, we haven’t been following it,” Roberts added. “So I hope it’s closure. That’d be great if it’s closure. We’ve all been ready to move on.”
While the case and the investigation have been ongoing for the entire 2024 season, Ohtani was effectively cleared from wrongdoing several weeks ago, meaning the Dodgers legitimately could go through their season without following it.
But the guilty plea can certainly be seen as closure for a team that could not have had a rockier start to the season off the field.
Now the final step is for Mizuhara to be sentenced, which won’t happen until Oct. 25 of this year. This means that, until then, the Dodgers can put the entire situation completely out of focus as they try to clinch the National League West and make a bid for the World Series.
Shohei Ohtani responds to Ippei Mizuhara plea
Below is Ohtani’s statement on the Mizuhara plea and the entire investigation.
“Now that the investigation has been completed, this full admission of guilt has brought important closure to me and my family. I want to sincerely thank the authorities for finishing their thorough and effective investigation so quickly and uncovering all of the evidence.
This has been a uniquely challenging time, so l am especially grateful for my support team – my family, agent, agency, lawyers, and advisors along with the entire Dodger organization, who showed endless support throughout this process.
“It’s time to close this chapter, move on and continue to focus on playing and winning ballgames.”
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