Ippei Mizuhara given lengthy prison sentence for Shohei Ohtani betting scandal

Nearly a year after it first rocked the baseball world, we finally have a resolution to the Ippei Mizuhara scandal. Shohei Ohtani's former translator and close confidante, who was convicted of defrauding the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar of millions of dollars, was sentenced to 57 months in prison on Thursday, over three years more than the 18 months that Mizuhara had asked for from the judge.

What began as a story about sports betting eventually revealed all manner of fraud, as Mizuhara went to great lengths — up to and including impersonating Ohtani in order to gain access to his bank accounts — to steal some $17 million from his former employer. Mizuhara then used that money on everything from funding his gambling habits to paying his medical bills.

After his conviction, Mizuhara had asked for leniency in sentencing, citing his remorse and his gambling addiction as mitigating factors that warranted a lesser sentence. But the judge was having none of it, and it's hard to disagree based on just how wide-ranging Mizuhara's crimes were.

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Ippei Mizuhara hit with maximum sentence as judge doesn't buy pleas for leniency

Mizuhara read a brief statement prior to his sentencing, in which he once again apologized to Ohtani and others he'd harmed. But the judge didn't seem to be having any of it: While Mizuhara claimed that he was driven to steal due to a compulsive gambling addiction, the fact that he spent Ohtani's money on everything from personal expenses to baseball cards sure makes it seem like he was actually just trying to take advantage of a wealthy athlete who wasn't paying particularly close attention.

While superficially apologetic, Mizuhara consistently tried to downplay the extent of his crimes, a fact that undercut his pleas for sympathy. Now, he faces nearly five years in prison, after which he'll likely be deported back to Japan given that he's not a U.S. citizen. Ohtani has yet to comment publicly on the matter beyond his initial statement last spring; while he submitted a victim impact statement to the court ahead of sentencing, it remains under seal. One thing's for sure, though: He's certainly looking forward to starting the 2025 season with his focus exclusively on baseball.