Ippei Mizuhara
Former Japanese-English interpreter for Shohei Ohtani
- Entries
- 12
- On the record
- 10
- Stories
- 1
- Latest entry
- Mar 12, 2025
The record
Ippei Mizuhara built a career as a baseball interpreter, first in Japan, where he moved in 2013 to work for a Japanese club, then as Shohei Ohtani's Japanese-English interpreter in Major League Baseball. His own lawyers describe him as also working as Ohtani's de facto manager and assistant, and in that role he helped Ohtani open a Bank of America account in 2018, the account he later took money from.
His own court filings set out the arc. He began regularly betting with a bookmaker in September 2021, and the presentence figures his lawyers accepted put the money taken from Ohtani's account at no less than $16,975,010, plus $4.1 million in income left off his 2022 tax return. The Dodgers fired him in March 2024 after an ESPN investigation, and he was arraigned on a federal complaint on April 12, 2024.
Through counsel he apologized to Ohtani, the Dodgers and Major League Baseball and said he would plead guilty. The probation office recommended 48 months and his lawyers asked for 18, citing a gambling addiction. U.S. District Judge John W. Holcomb imposed 57 months, three years of supervised release and restitution of nearly $17 million to Ohtani and $1.1 million to the IRS. His attorney said he expected Mizuhara to be deported later.
Roles and honours on the record
- 2013 Interpreter for a Japanese professional baseball team source
- 2018-2024 Japanese-English interpreter and de facto manager and assistant to Shohei Ohtani, with the Los Angeles Angels and then the Los Angeles Dodgers source
- 2024-2025 Defendant, United States v. Mizuhara, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, No. 8:24-cr-00054-JWH source
Every entry, newest first
- Filed
Mizuhara's attorney filed a request, kept under seal, to move his prison surrender date; the judge granted it. Ippei Mizuhara: 57 months, $18M+ owed to Shohei Ohtani and IRS
- Ruled
Judge sentenced Mizuhara to 57 months in prison plus three years supervised release and ordered more than $18 million in restitution to Ohtani and the IRS. Ippei Mizuhara: 57 months, $18M+ owed to Shohei Ohtani and IRS
- Admitted
Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank fraud and to filing a false tax return. Ippei Mizuhara: 57 months, $18M+ owed to Shohei Ohtani and IRS
- Filed
Federal prosecutors in Southern California charged Mizuhara with one count of bank fraud. Ippei Mizuhara: 57 months, $18M+ owed to Shohei Ohtani and IRS
- Reported
After the Dodgers' season opener in Seoul, Mizuhara told players in a clubhouse speech that Ohtani had sent money to cover his gambling debt. Ippei Mizuhara: 57 months, $18M+ owed to Shohei Ohtani and IRS
Stories in this file
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The record, entry by entry
- 2013 Filed He moved to Japan to work as an interpreter for a Japanese baseball team, according to his sentencing memorandum. Ippei Mizuhara's sentencing memorandum, C.D. Cal. No. 8:24-cr-00054, Dkt. 71 (via Courthouse News)
- 2018 Filed He helped Ohtani open a Bank of America account and interpreted for him when the bank employee provided the login information, his lawyers wrote. Ippei Mizuhara's sentencing memorandum, C.D. Cal. No. 8:24-cr-00054, Dkt. 71 (via Courthouse News)
- 2021-09 Admitted He began regularly placing sports bets with a bookmaker, quickly fell into debt and illegally accessed Ohtani's bank account, his own sentencing filing states. Ippei Mizuhara's sentencing memorandum, C.D. Cal. No. 8:24-cr-00054, Dkt. 71 (via Courthouse News)
- 2024-03 Reported The Los Angeles Dodgers fired him after an ESPN investigation into the case. ESPN report
- 2024-04-12 Filed He was arraigned on the federal complaint and, in a statement through counsel, confirmed he was cooperating with the government and intended to plead guilty, and apologized to Ohtani, the Dodgers and Major League Baseball. Ippei Mizuhara's sentencing memorandum, C.D. Cal. No. 8:24-cr-00054, Dkt. 71 (via Courthouse News)
- 2025-01-23 Filed His lawyers asked for an 18-month sentence, citing gambling addiction, against a probation office recommendation of 48 months. The filing accepted presentence figures of at least $16,975,010 taken from Ohtani's account and $4.1 million omitted from his 2022 tax return. Ippei Mizuhara's sentencing memorandum, C.D. Cal. No. 8:24-cr-00054, Dkt. 71 (via Courthouse News)
- 2025-02-06 Ruled U.S. District Judge John W. Holcomb sentenced him to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release, with restitution of nearly $17 million to Ohtani and $1.1 million to the IRS. In court he said he was truly sorry to Ohtani. ESPN report
Documents
Sources behind this file
- The Athletic report on Mizuhara beginning his sentence
- ESPN report on Mizuhara's prison surrender date
- The Athletic report on Mizuhara's 57-month sentencing
- Mizuhara's sentencing memorandum, U.S. District Court, Central District of California
- The Athletic report on Mizuhara's guilty plea and MLB clearing Ohtani
- Los Angeles Times report: Ohtani's lawyers accuse interpreter of 'massive theft'