Ippei Mizuhara Surrenders to Authorities in Los Angeles
Ippei Mizuhara has reportedly surrendered to law enforcement on federal bank fraud charges. Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter is alleged to have stolen more than $16 million from Los Angeles Dodgers star to cover gambling debts. He is expected to appear in federal court at 1 p.m. PT and could be let out on bond afterwards.
On Thursday, details from Mizuhara's case were released and they were stunning. While he doesn't appear to have bet on baseball, Mizuhara placed roughly 19,000 bets between 2021 and 2024 and lost nearly $40.7 million. His average wager was around $12,800. He even admitted he was "terrible" at gambling in a text message to a bookmaker.
Mizuhara is also alleged to have impersonated Ohtani in conversations with bank officials. He even changed the settings on Ohtani's accounts so his star employer wouldn't be notified of transactions.
Mizuhara is in the process of negotiating a plea deal, according to the New York Times. If convicted the 39-year-old faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
