Ohtani Ex-Interpreter Scheduled To Report To Prison By May

Ippei Mizuhara is preparing to surrender to federal authorities this spring to serve a 57-month sentence in connection with significant gambling-related crimes.

Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, has been assigned a new reporting date for his prison sentence following his involvement in gambling offenses. As per court documents made public this week, Mizuhara is scheduled to surrender to federal authorities by May 12, 2023.

In February, Mizuhara was sentenced to 57 months in prison after pleading guilty to embezzling $17 million (€15.8 million/£13.2 million) from Ohtani. He misappropriated these funds primarily to settle a part of his substantial sports gambling debts with an illicit California bookmaker.

This new surrender date comes nearly two months after Mizuhara’s initial deadline of March 24. Last June, he admitted guilt to one count of bank fraud and a count related to signing a fraudulent tax return.

Delayed Reporting Date

During a span of 37 months, Mizuhara placed over 19,000 bets through an operation led by illegal bookmaker Matt Bowyer. These bets varied significantly, with stakes ranging from as low as $10 to as high as $160,000. Ultimately, Mizuhara reported losses totaling approximately $182.9 million, counterbalanced by winnings reaching $142.3 million.

US District Judge John W. Holcomb sentenced Mizuhara to nearly five years in prison, a decision that was on the lower end of federal sentencing guidelines. Mizuhara impersonated Ohtani on 24 occasions in attempts to wire substantial amounts from the MLB star’s bank account to cover his gambling debts. Major League Baseball concluded its investigation into Ohtani, ultimately identifying him as a victim of Mizuhara’s fraudulent activities. Ohtani has since been exonerated by federal authorities.

During the sentencing, Mizuhara expressed profound remorse to Ohtani for betraying his trust. Prosecutors maintained that while Mizuhara diverted millions from Ohtani’s account to address part of his gambling debts, he did not return any of his winnings to Ohtani’s account.

Breaking — Judge Holcomb sentenced Ippei Mizuhara to 57 months, imposing a sentence at the low end of the federal guidelines. Mizuhara remained calm as Holcomb read his sentence. Mizuhara told the court he is truly sorry to Shohei #Ohtani and he’s prepared to face his punishment pic.twitter.com/wDYPMzA06f

— Matt Rybaltowski (@MattRybaltowski) February 6, 2025

Additionally, some of the embezzled funds were transferred to an associate of Bowyer’s, who subsequently funneled the money to multiple casinos in Las Vegas and Southern California, as reported by ESPN.

Michael Freedman, Mizuhara’s attorney, opted not to comment but previously filed a motion requesting the court to extend Mizuhara’s surrender date.

The Talk of the Conference

The unsealed court documents emerged shortly after the Nevada Gaming Commission enforced a $10.5 million fine against Resorts World Las Vegas (RWLV). This resolution pertains to a 12-count complaint filed by the Nevada Gaming Control Board over alleged deficiencies in the casino’s anti-money laundering protocols.

Numerous illegal bookmakers, including Bowyer, purportedly laundered millions through the opulent RWLV, strategically located on the northern portion of the Las Vegas Strip. Bowyer is currently awaiting sentencing for his money laundering conviction, slated for October.

In the settlement, RWLV did not admit to any wrongdoing, making this fine the second-largest imposed on a casino in Nevada’s history. The case has sparked widespread discussions at the recent Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention in San Diego, where Jeff Mitchell, the lead prosecutor in the Mizuhara case, delivered a presentation focused on combating money laundering.

Destination Unknown

Despite California housing 13 standalone federal prisons and eight federal prison camps, the specific location for Mizuhara’s incarceration remains uncertain. During his sentencing, Freedman requested that Mizuhara be placed in a facility close to his residence in Southern California. There’s also the possibility that Mizuhara could face deportation to Japan once he completes his sentence.

Ohtani recently secured a 10-year contract worth $700 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023, ranking No. 13 on Forbes’ 2024 list of the world’s highest-paid athletes with total earnings of $85.3 million, thus becoming the sole baseball player to feature in the Top 25.

Mizuhara first encountered Ohtani during the star’s rookie season with the Hokkaidō Nippon-Ham Fighters, a prominent professional baseball team in Japan back in 2013.