Shohei Ohtani's Disgraced Interpreter Pleads Not Guilty in Court Appearance

Ippei Mizuhara was in court again Tuesday — this time, not for long.

Dec 14, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Ippei Mizuhara, the translator for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, made a court appearance Tuesday as his ongoing legal saga winds to a conclusion. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Ippei Mizuhara was in court again Tuesday — this time, not for long.

The former interpreter for Shohei Ohtani pled not guilty to charges of bank and tax fraud in a Los Angeles court Tuesday. According to the Associated Press, the appearance was a procedural formality ahead of a plea deal he’s negotiated with federal prosecutors in the sports betting scandal that thrust the Los Angeles Dodgers star into the spotlight as an unexpected victim of massive proportions.

Mizuhara stands accused of stealing more than $16 million from Ohtani's personal bank account to cover his losses from wagers placed with an illegal bookmaking operation. According to the AP, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jean P. Rosenbluth asked Mizuhara to enter a plea to one count of bank fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return during his arraignment.

According to The Athletic, Mizuhara waived his right to a grand jury indictment in a hearing that lasted less than five minutes. Defense attorney Michael G. Freedman told reporters that Mizuhara plans to plead guilty in the future, according to the AP, while Mizuhara did not comment.

The size and scope of Mizuhara's alleged theft is breathtaking. Besides his gambling losses, prosecutors said Mizuhara took money from Ohtani’s account to pay other expenses, including $60,000 in dental work and $325,000 in baseball cards.

The bank fraud charge carries a possible prison term of up to 30 years, while the tax charge can be to three years in federal prison, according to City News Service.

Mizuhara was charged last month with bank fraud and surrendered to federal authorities on April 12. He was released on $25,000 bond.

The Dodgers fired Mizuhara in March when news of the criminal investigation broke.

Ohtani held a press conference to clear his name and express his surprise to the turn of events in April. “On a personal note, I’m very sad and shocked that someone who I trusted has done this,” he said, reading from a prepared statement.

Ohtani, who signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December, leads MLB in slugging percentage (.659), OPS (1.081), and has stolen nine bases in 10 attempts while hitting .354.