The former translator for Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani could be deported, officials said Tuesday, after pleading guilty to stealing millions of dollars from the baseball icon to pay gambling losses.
Ippei Mizuhara appeared in a courtroom in Santa Ana, California, and admitted his guilt to single counts of bank fraud and subscribing to a false tax return.
In pleading guilty, Mizuhara had to state in open court what he did.
“I worked for victim A and had access to his bank account and had fallen into major gambling debt,” Mizuhara said. “I went ahead and wired money … with his bank account.”
U.S. District Court Judge John Holcomb scheduled Mizuhara’s sentencing for Oct. 25.
In theory, Mizuhara faces up to the 30 years in prison. U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada declined to say what punishment his office will seek but explained: "Based on the extent of the conduct here, the sentence would likely be one that calls for incarceration."
Mizuhara, 39, was born in Japan before moving to Southern California when he was a child in the early 1990s.
He never became a citizen, Estrada disclosed on Tuesday, leaving the defendant at risk of deportation.
"Based on the conduct he's pleaded guilty to, he faces significant immigration consequences," Estrada told reporters in downtown Los Angeles following the hearing in Orange County. "He certainly faces a risk of deportation back to Japan and having to leave this country."
Mizuhara's attorney could not be immediately reached for comment on Tuesday.
Mizuhara began making bets with an illegal bookmaker in September 2021, running up a massive bill, prosecutors have said.
When word of the federal probe first leaked in March, there were concerns about Ohtani possibly having connections to betting on baseball, a strictly verboten act under MLB guidelines.
But federal prosecutors have made it clear that they purely view Ohtani as a victim of Mizuhara, who took advantage of the trust the player had in him.
Mizuhara used Ohtani’s password to get to his bank account, without his knowledge or permission, to pay off gambling debts, prosecutors have said.
“Now that the investigation has been completed, this full admission of guilt has brought important closure to me and my family," Ohtani said in a statement. "I want to sincerely thank the authorities for finishing their thorough and effective investigation so quickly and uncovering all of the evidence.
Ohtani admitted the case took an emotional toll on him.
“This has been a uniquely challenging time, so I am especially grateful for my support team — my family, agent, agency, lawyers, and advisors along with the entire Dodger organization, who showed endless support throughout this process, " he added. “It’s time to close this chapter, move on and continue to focus on playing and winning ballgames.”
Despite Ohtani's wealth as a superstar baseball player, Estrada said the slugger is very much like any other relatively new American who could be vulnerable to fraud.
"Mr. Ohtani is an immigrant, came to this country, is not familiar with the ways of this country and therefore was easy prey for someone who was more familiar with our financial systems and was able to take advantage of Mr. Ohtani," Estrada said.
Ohtani is arguably the world's best-known baseball player, now in his seventh MLB season.
He signed a heavily backloaded, team-friendly $700 million contract this past off season with the Dodgers. His first six seasons in North America were spent with the nearby Los Angeles Angels.
Ohtani is one of baseball's most valuable players for his ability to both hit and pitch at a high level, a feat not seen since the early 20th century when Babe Ruth was still with the Boston Red Sox.
The two-way star Ohtani is still recovering from an elbow injury that's keeping him off the mound in 2024 and limiting his action to the batter's box.
Ohtani is still one of baseball's most valuable players, even as a mere one-way performer this season. On Tuesday, Ohtani was in the top 10 of base hits, doubles, home runs, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
