As Shohei Ohtani was beginning his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he and former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara became embroiled in an illegal sports gambling scandal.
The Dodgers fired Mizuhara during the Seoul Series as reports surfaced of his involvement in gambling. A federal investigation revealed Mizuhara stole nearly $17 million from Ohtani in order to pay off a Southern California bookmaker.
Mizuhara pled guilty to bank and tax fraud in early June. He faces a maximum of 33 years in federal prison between the two charges, along with hefty fines.
Mizuhara’s sentencing hearing was scheduled for Dec. 20, but it has now been pushed back to Jan. 24, 2025, via Noah Furtado and Evan Drellich of The Athletic:
Mizuhara’s sentencing was set for Dec. 20 but was delayed Wednesday to Jan. 24.
Mizuhara’s sentencing date was originally scheduled for Oct. 25, which would have coincided with Game 1 of the World Series, but prosecutors agreed to move it to Dec. 20.
Legal counsel requested the first delay so Mizuhara could be evaluated by a forensic psychiatrist “with respect to gambling and to prepare a report for the Court’s review prior to sentencing.”
Mizuhara had served as Ohtani’s interpreter since the three-time MVP Award winner made his MLB debut with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018.
The Dodgers tasked Will Ireton with filling in as Ohtani’s interpreter for the remainder of the 2024 season after firing Mizuhara. Ireton previously held that role for Kenta Maeda but had shifted into baseball operations.
Shohei Ohtani cards seized from Ippei Mizuhara
In addition to stealing millions of dollars from Ohtani, Mizuhara purchased several autographed baseball cards from online resale platforms with the intention to resell them.
Ohtani has now asked a federal judge for ownership of the cards that are worth an estimated $325,000.
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