Ippei Mizuhara

Ippei Mizuhara
Born:	December 31, 1984 Hokkaido, Japan
Charges:	Bank fraud, Filing a false tax return
Sentence:	57 months
Facility:	Federal prison
Status:	Incarcerated

Ippei Mizuhara (born December 31, 1984) is a former Major League Baseball interpreter who was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for stealing nearly $17 million from baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani to cover gambling debts. Mizuhara served as Ohtani's personal interpreter starting in 2017, when Ohtani joined the Los Angeles Angels. He stayed in that role through March 2024, when the Los Angeles Dodgers fired him after discovering the theft. During those years, Mizuhara became one of baseball's most visible figures, appearing at Ohtani's press conferences and games. He even caught for him during the 2021 Home Run Derby. His fall from grace shocked the sports world, exposing both the dangers of gambling addiction and how deeply an athlete can trust the wrong person.

Summary

The Ippei Mizuhara case stunned everyone who followed baseball. How could someone so close to a superstar exploit him so thoroughly? Over roughly two and a half years, Mizuhara placed at least 19,000 bets through an illegal bookmaking operation. He wagered approximately $325 to $326 million on sports events worldwide. His winning bets totaled about $142 million, but his losses exceeded $182 million, leaving him down more than $40 million.

To pay those losses, Mizuhara turned to Ohtani's bank account. He changed the security settings without permission, altering the registered phone number and email address so bank employees would call him instead of Ohtani when verifying transactions. On roughly 24 phone calls with the bank, he impersonated Ohtani and authorized wire transfers. Federal prosecutors were adamant: Ohtani never gambled and had no idea his money was disappearing.

Background

Early Life

Born on December 31, 1984, in Hokkaido, Japan, Mizuhara moved to Southern California with his family in 1991. His father, Hidemasa, worked as a chef there. The family settled in Diamond Bar, a city in eastern Los Angeles County. Mizuhara attended Chaparral Middle School and Diamond Bar High School, graduating in 2003.

As a young immigrant, he struggled with English but eventually became fluent in both English and Japanese. Coaches remembered him as quiet and dependable. He was a backup goalie on the varsity soccer team in high school but didn't play much.

Later, Mizuhara claimed he graduated from the University of California, Riverside in 2007. When the scandal broke in March 2024, the university said they had no record of anyone by that name attending.

Passion for Baseball

He never played baseball himself. Still, watching Hideo Nomo pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995 changed everything. "I was right in the middle of Nomo Fever," Mizuhara told Sports Illustrated in 2021. After working various jobs, including at a sushi restaurant and for a Japanese sake import company, he decided to become a baseball interpreter.

Career as an Interpreter

In 2013, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball hired Mizuhara to translate for English-speaking players. Shohei Ohtani had also just joined the Fighters that year. In Japan, Mizuhara's job went far beyond translation. He helped players get work visas, set up bank accounts, and took them to medical appointments.

When Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Angels in December 2017, the team brought Mizuhara along as his personal interpreter. The two men became inseparable. Mizuhara was at Ohtani's side constantly, appearing at virtually every public event. He even participated in baseball activities with him, throwing during warmups and catching during the 2021 MLB Home Run Derby. During the 2021-22 MLB lockout, Mizuhara resigned temporarily from his Angels position to skirt rules preventing player-team contact. This let him keep working with Ohtani.

When Ohtani signed his record 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers before the 2024 season, Mizuhara came along as his interpreter. Less than three months later, the scandal emerged and ended everything.

The Gambling Scandal

Connection to Illegal Bookmaker

In September 2021, Mizuhara attended a poker game with Los Angeles Angels players and coaches. That's where he met Mathew Bowyer, an illegal bookmaker. Shortly after, Bowyer set up a betting account for Mizuhara on AnyActionSports.com, a Costa Rica-based gambling website Bowyer ran.

Within 30 days, Bowyer knew he had a problem gambler on his hands. Mizuhara bet constantly. Soccer matches in obscure leagues, events around the world, at all hours of the day and night. His average bet was about $12,800. He placed roughly 25 bets every single day.

Stealing from Ohtani

As his losses mounted into the millions, Mizuhara began stealing from Ohtani to settle his debts. Starting no later than November 2021 and continuing through March 2024, he accessed Ohtani's bank account using his password. He changed the security protocols without Ohtani's knowledge. The registered email address and phone number both got altered, ensuring that bank employees would contact him, not Ohtani, when verifying transactions.

On approximately 24 phone calls with the bank, Mizuhara impersonated Ohtani and used his personal information to authorize wire transfers. Over that time, he stole approximately $16.975 million from Ohtani's account.

Discovery and Termination

Everything unraveled in March 2024. Federal investigators were tracking money related to Bowyer's illegal gambling operation when they discovered the wire transfers from Ohtani's account. On March 20, 2024, the Dodgers fired Mizuhara after Ohtani's representatives reported the "massive theft." From the start, federal prosecutors made it clear that Ohtani was purely a victim. He never gambled. He had no knowledge of the thefts.

Legal Proceedings

Charges and Guilty Plea

On April 11, 2024, federal prosecutors charged Mizuhara with one count of bank fraud. He turned himself in the next day and was released on a $25,000 bond. On June 4, 2024, Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank fraud and to filing a false tax return. The latter charge related to his failure to report gambling winnings on his taxes.

Sentencing

U.S. District Judge John W. Holcomb sentenced Mizuhara on February 6, 2025, to 57 months in federal prison. This was slightly below the 63-month term prosecutors had recommended. The judge ordered him to pay $16,975,010 in restitution to Ohtani and $1,149,400 to the IRS, plus three years of supervised release.

At the sentencing hearing, prosecutors didn't hold back. "Let there be no doubt, Mr. Ohtani is truly a victim and has suffered, and will continue to suffer, harm from defendant's conduct," they stated in court documents.

Prison Status and Deportation

Mizuhara was ordered to surrender to federal prison by March 24, 2025. His attorney, Michael G. Freedman, said that Mizuhara, a Japanese citizen, is expected to be deported after finishing his sentence.

Terminology

• Bank Fraud: A federal crime involving a scheme to defraud a financial institution or obtain money from a bank through false pretenses.

• Wire Transfer: An electronic transfer of funds from one bank account to another.

• Problem Gambling: Gambling behavior that causes harm to the gambler or others, often characterized by loss of control.

• Restitution: Court-ordered payment to compensate victims for their financial losses.

See Also

• Mathew Bowyer
• Bank Fraud
• Tax Evasion
• Restitution, Fines, and Forfeiture
• Self-Surrender Procedures
• Supervised Release
• Plea Agreements and Trial Procedures
• Federal Sentencing Guidelines
• Federal Prison Facilities

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What was Ippei Mizuhara charged with?

Ippei Mizuhara, former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, pleaded guilty to bank fraud and filing a false tax return after stealing approximately $17 million from Ohtani to pay gambling debts.

Q: How much money did Ippei Mizuhara steal?

Mizuhara stole approximately $17 million from Shohei Ohtani's bank account to pay off debts to an illegal sports bookmaking operation.

Q: What was Ippei Mizuhara's sentence?

Mizuhara was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison, ordered to pay over $18 million in restitution, and will likely be deported to Japan after serving his sentence.

Q: Did Shohei Ohtani know about the theft?

Federal prosecutors stated that Ohtani was a victim of the fraud and had no knowledge of or involvement in Mizuhara's theft or gambling activities.

Q: What was Ippei Mizuhara's gambling problem?

Mizuhara admitted to having a severe gambling addiction, placing at least 19,000 illegal sports bets totaling approximately $325-326 million that resulted in massive debts he covered by stealing from Ohtani.