Former Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s performer and manager Ippei Mizuhara agreed to plead guilty Thursday to bank fraud charges for allegedly stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani’s accounts to cover his gambling debts, the US Department of Justice announced.
ABC News first reported Development. Mizuhara’s arraignment is scheduled for May 14. Mizuhara’s attorney, Michael Freedman, said he had no comment at this time. Spokespeople for the Dodgers and Ohtani also declined to comment.
Mizuhara will plead guilty to one count of bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years, and one count of submitting a false tax return, which carries a maximum sentence of three years. The DOJ said in the plea agreement that it would recommend a reduced sentence if Mizuhara “demonstrates an acceptance of responsibility.” The judge will ultimately make the final sentencing determination.
The plea agreement states that it is almost certain that Mizuhara will be deported to Japan, the country of his birth. Mizuhara spent much of his life in the United States, attending school in Southern California.
“Defendant and his attorney have discussed that, and Defendant understands that, if Defendant is not a United States citizen, the convictions in this case make it virtually inevitable and near certainty that Defendant will be deported or removed from the States -United,” the agreement reads.
Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on March 21 amid reports that at least $4.5 million had been transferred from Ohtani’s accounts to an allegedly illegal bookmaker, Mathew Bowyer. Ohtani accused Mizuhara of “massive theft,” alleging that Mizuhara took the money without his knowledge. Federal authorities charged Mizuhara with bank fraud on April 11, releasing a 37-page affidavit describing how the former performer gained access to Ohtani’s accounts and used the money to “feed his insatiable appetite for illegal sports betting.” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada.
“The scale of this defendant’s deception and theft is enormous,” Estrada said in a statement Wednesday. “He used his position of trust to take advantage of Mr. Ohtani and fuel a dangerous gambling habit. My office is committed to standing up for victims throughout our community and ensuring that perpetrators are brought to justice.”
According to the release, Mizuhara “fraudulently obtained” more than $16,975,010 from Ohtani’s account, which contained player salaries from his contract with the Los Angeles Angels. Mizuhara may be required to pay restitution to Ohtani, although the exact amount has not yet been determined.
The plea agreement details much of the timeline of Mizuhara’s alleged theft. He first wired $40,010 on November 15, 2021, then made 36 wire transfers totaling $15 million from February 28, 2022 to October 13, 2023. His most recent wire transfer took place on January 8 of this year. Mizuhara allegedly impersonated Ohtani from the star’s bank 24 times.
Mizuhara had worked for Ohtani since arriving in the United States in 2018, when Ohtani hired Mizuhara as his de facto manager as well as his interpreter, according to court documents. Their relationship lasted longer than that, as Mizuhara worked for NPB’s Nippon Ham Fighters when Ohtani played professionally in Japan from 2013 to 2017. Their relationship was such that Mizuhara was often forced to make routine purchases for Ohtani, and on at least one occasion, Ohtani agreed to cover an expense for Mizuhara.
According to the plea agreement, Ohtani agreed to pay for Mizuhara’s dental work last September. Ohtani authorized a $60,000 check to Mizuhara for dental work. However, according to court documents, Mizuhara paid for the procedure with Ohtani’s debit card, then pocketed the money from Ohtani’s check and deposited it into his personal checking account.
Ohtani, who is in the first year of a new 10-year contract with the Dodgers after six seasons with the Angels, has not addressed the subject in a public forum since making a statement March 25 in which he said he was “very saddened and shocked that someone I trusted would do this.
(Photo: Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)