Ippei Mizuhara sentenced to 57 months for stealing from Shohei Ohtani

On 6 February 2025, a US federal judge in Santa Ana, California, sentenced Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, to 57 months in prison. He had pleaded guilty in 2024 to bank fraud and to making a false tax return.

Prosecutors said Mizuhara, who struggled with a gambling addiction, took roughly $17 million from Ohtani's bank account to pay debts to an illegal bookmaking operation. He had access to the account while serving as Ohtani's interpreter and close aide. The Dodgers fired him in March 2024 after the allegations became public.

Prosecutors asked for 57 months, while the defence had sought a much shorter term of about 18 months, citing his gambling disorder. The judge sided with prosecutors. Mizuhara was also ordered to pay about $17 million in restitution to Ohtani, plus around $1.1 million to the Internal Revenue Service (the US tax authority), and faced a period of supervised release after prison.

The case drew worldwide attention because of Ohtani's fame and because it raised questions about trust and financial oversight around athletes. Ohtani was not accused of wrongdoing.