Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was released on a $25,000 bond and ordered to undergo gambling addiction treatment after appearing in court accused of stealing $16million from the Dodgers star to cover his debts.
The 39-year-old, who surrendered to authorities earlier on Friday, did not enter a plea during the proceeding in downtown Los Angeles. He apologized through a lawyer and was ordered to return for an arraignment on May 9.
Mizuhara is charged with one count of bank fraud and faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison if convicted.
Wearing a dark suit and a white shirt, he entered the courtroom with his ankles shackled before the judge approved his attorney’s request to remove them.
Mizuhara is accused of wiring the funds without Ohtani’s knowledge to an illegal sports gambling operation. According to the federal affidavit, Mizuhara began gambling with the illegal book in late 2021, losing substantial sums.
Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara appeared in court in Los Angeles on Friday
Mizuhara’s attorney, Michael Freedman, issued a statement saying his client ‘wishes to apologize to Mr. Ohtani, the Dodgers, Major League Baseball and his family.’
To cover his debts, Mizuhara impersonated Ohtani over the phone to ‘trick and deceive’ bank employees into authorizing wire transfers from Ohtani’s account, where the player’s baseball salary was deposited, the affidavit said.
United States Magistrate Judge Maria A. Audero also ordered Mizuhara to be released on an unsecured $25,000 bond, meaning Mizuhara does not have to put up any cash or collateral to be released. If he violates the conditions of his bond, then he will be on the hook for $25,000.
Mizuhara’s attorney, Michael Freedman, issued a statement saying his client ‘wishes to apologize to Mr. Ohtani, the Dodgers, Major League Baseball and his family.’
‘He is continuing to cooperate with the legal process and is hopeful that he can reach an agreement with the government to resolve this case as quickly as possible so that he can take responsibility,’ Freedman said. The comment suggested Mizuhara was negotiating a plea deal with prosecutors.
Mizuhara is accused of stealing $16million from the Dodgers star to cover his debts
The hearing came a day after prosecutors charged Mizuhara and publicly exonerated Ohtani in a case that had threatened to embroil the Dodgers, the MLB and a power-hitting pitcher regarded as a national hero in his home country.
‘For me personally, this marks a break from this, and I’d like to focus on baseball,’ the Los Angeles Times quoted Ohtani as saying on Friday in his first public comments since his former interpreter was charged.
Other bond conditions stipulate that Mizuhara cannot gamble, either electronically or in-person, or go inside any gambling establishments, or associate with any known bookmakers.
While Mizuhara’s winning bets totaled over $142m, which he deposited in his own bank account and not Ohtani´s, his losing bets were around $183m – a net loss of nearly $41m.