In a federal courtroom in Downtown LA on Tuesday, Ippei Mizuhara, former translator for the Los Angeles Dodgers, faced his arraignment amid a throng of reporters and cameramen. A week earlier, Mizuhara had reached an agreement to plead guilty to embezzling nearly $17 million from his former friend and baseball star, Shohei Ohtani.
Silent amidst the clamor, Mizuhara, 39, entered a plea of not guilty, though his attorney, Michael Freedman, indicated that a guilty plea was forthcoming. Following the brief five-minute hearing, neither Mizuhara nor Freedman offered comments.
The saga traces back to 2013 when Mizuhara and Ohtani first crossed paths while working for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. Their journey continued to the U.S. when Ohtani signed with the LA Angels, garnering widespread acclaim for his prowess both as a pitcher and hitter, an exceptional feat in baseball. Mizuhara, serving as Ohtani’s translator and de facto manager, earned a position of trust that allowed him sole access to Ohtani’s finances, covertly siphoning funds from his bank account to cover staggering gambling losses.
Over a span of 26 months, Mizuhara engaged in over 19,000 wagers with an illicit bookmaker, resulting in losses exceeding $40 million. To offset his debts, he transferred over $16.5 million from Ohtani’s account and pilfered an additional $325,000 for personal gain, purchasing baseball cards with intentions to resell them.
A federal probe into the bookmaking operation ultimately unraveled Mizuhara’s scheme. Initial speculation even implicated Ohtani, with the bookie assuming Mizuhara acted as a shield for the baseball star. Despite assertions of disappointment from a gathering of nearly 50 reporters, barred from the courtroom due to unspecified security concerns, Mizuhara’s legal ordeal continues under the scrutiny of both American and Japanese media.
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