Shohei Ohtani's interpreter Ippei Mizuhara faces max sentence of decades in prison
On the outside, one of MLB's best bromances featured Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara. Not only was Ohtani must-see TV, but Mizuhara seemed to be a lot of fun too. He was always a fan favorite among Los Angeles Angels fans, and seemed to be attached at the hip with Ohtani. Mizuhara joined Ohtani with the Los Angeles Dodgers this past offseason, but that lasted all of one game.
Unfortunately, behind the scenes, Mizuhara allegedly stole millions of dollars from Ohtani's bank account to pay back an illegal bookie. Once that was revealed to the public, Mizuhara was fired, and faced big legal trouble.
Now, after Mizuhara pled guilty to bank and tax fraud charges, we've come to find out just what kind of trouble he might have gotten himself into.
Ippei Mizuhara faces decades in prison after guilty plea
NEWS: Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani’s former and longtime interpreter, pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud charges during a change-of-plea hearing in federal court this morning.
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) June 4, 2024
Total maximum sentence: 33 years.
Sentencing is set for Oct. 25 at 2 pm PT.
As ESPN's Alden Gonzalez reports, the maximum sentence for all charges brought against Mizuhara can land him behind bars for up to 33 years. Over three decades in prison. It should be noted that since this is the max possible sentence, it's far more likely that Mizuhara enters a plea deal, or receives less from a judge.
Mizuhara is set to be sentenced on Friday, October 25 at 2 pm PT.
A statement from Shohei Ohtani, through a spokesperson … pic.twitter.com/PLkGEma9Xk
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) June 4, 2024
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 4, 2024
Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers released statements expressing their desire to move forward and try to win some baseball games. Mizuhara admitting guilt is the last thing that Ohtani really needed to completely clear him from any wrongdoing here.
When asked if there was anything he wanted to say about the situation, all Mizuhara could say was "sorry."
The scandal was first brought to light in the Seoul Series that began the 2024 MLB season, so Ohtani's entire Dodgers career has been filled with distractions so far. Despite all that has gone on behind the scenes Ohtani has been unbelievable, slashing .322/.392/.596 with 14 home runs and 38 RBI in 58 games.
The Dodgers are 38-23 on the season, holding a 7.0 game lead in the NL West. Just imagine how dominant they'll be when Ohtani is distraction-free.
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