Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara pleaded guilty on Tuesday to bank and tax fraud charges, ESPN reports.
Federal authorities formally accused Mizuhara of stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani to pay off gambling debts back in April. The former interpreter, following his guilty plea, will wait for sentencing in October.
News of Mizuhara’s gambling issues first became public in March. Initial reports insinuated that Ohtani may have been involved. Eventually, Ohtani’s team and the Los Angeles Dodgers clarified that the baseball superstar wasn’t aware of Mizuhara’s gambling.
“From no later than November 2021 to March 2024, Mizuhara used Ohtani’s password to successfully sign into the bank account and then changed the account’s security protocols without Ohtani’s knowledge or permission,” the Justice Department said per CNN. “In total, Mizuhara called the bank and impersonated Ohtani on approximately 24 occasions.”
The Dodgers pitcher says he is happy the investigation has been completed.
“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,” Ohtani said in a statement per CNN.
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