Transferred Ohtani's Money to Gambling Operator's Account
Request for Reduced Sentence Not Accepted
Ordered to Pay $18 Million in Restitution
Former interpreter Mizuhara Ippei (40), who attempted to steal money from MLB star Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers) to pay off gambling debts, was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison by a U.S. court.
On the 6th (local time), AP News and NBC reported that the U.S. Federal Court located in Orange County, California, sentenced Mizuhara, who was charged with bank and tax fraud, to 4 years and 9 months in prison. The court handed down the same sentence as the prosecution's demand. The maximum sentence for bank fraud is known to be 30 years in prison.
The court also ordered Mizuhara to pay $18 million (approximately 26.05 billion KRW) in restitution. Of this amount, about $17 million (approximately 24.6 billion KRW) is to be paid to Ohtani himself, and the remainder to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. Mizuhara must report to authorities by the 24th of next month to begin serving the prison sentence. Federal Judge John Holcomb stated, "It is very shocking that the amount stolen reached $17 million," and added, "I hope Mizuhara can repay that amount."
Shohei Ohtani, active in the Los Angeles (LA) Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Photo by Reuters Yonhap News.
Mizuhara's defense attorney had requested the court to reduce the sentence to 1 year and 6 months, but this was not accepted. In documents submitted to the court, Mizuhara wrote, "I beg for mercy regarding the sentence to be imposed," and "As a human being, I sincerely respect Ohtani and had vowed to dedicate my life so that he could show his best performance on the field. I want to sincerely apologize for betraying the trust he placed in me."
Earlier, Mizuhara was indicted in April last year on charges of withdrawing money from Ohtani's bank account to repay sports gambling debts, transferring it to a gambling operator's account, and lying to the bank to get approval. She was also charged with failing to report an additional income of $4.1 million (approximately 5.9 billion KRW) when filing her 2022 income with the IRS. When the case was reported in the media in March last year, Mizuhara was dismissed during the MLB Seoul Series held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.
The prosecution concluded that Ohtani was the victim of this case based on his testimony and mobile phone records. There was no evidence that he knew of or was involved in Mizuhara's illegal gambling and debt repayment. It is also known that in documents submitted to the court during the trial, it was stated, "Ohtani is an undisputed victim and has suffered due to the defendant (Mizuhara)'s actions. That suffering will continue in the future."
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