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5h ago

Ex-Ohtani Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara Begins 57-Month Sentence in Federal Prison

His surrender follows a June 2024 guilty plea after prosecutors say he stole almost $17 million to feed a severe gambling addiction.

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Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani, leaves the federal court, on the day of sentencing after pleading guilty to bank fraud and tax-evasion charges, in Santa Ana, California, U.S., February 6, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
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Shohei Ohtani's former translator, Ippei Mizuhara, has surrendered and is in prison.

Overview

  • Ippei Mizuhara surrendered Monday to Federal Correctional Institution Allenwood Low in Pennsylvania to begin his 57-month prison term.
  • He was sentenced in February following a June 2024 guilty plea for bank fraud and filing a false tax return.
  • Court records show Mizuhara placed about 19,000 bets over two years, accumulating more than $40 million in gambling debt.
  • A judge ordered him to pay $18 million in restitution to Shohei Ohtani as part of his sentence.
  • Mathew Bowyer, the bookmaker involved in the case, pleaded guilty in August to running an illegal gambling business, money laundering and filing a false tax return and is awaiting sentencing.