Once regarded as Shohei Ohtani’s constant interpreter and close friend, Ippei Mizuhara reported to federal prison on Monday to start serving a 57-month sentence, ending a heartbreaking and emotional chapter in one of Major League Baseball’s most shocking and personal scandals.
Sentence In Place, What Happened?
Mizuhara served as Ohtani’s shadow for many years in addition to being his translator. He guided Ohtani through the complexities of a two-way MLB superstar’s life, the language barrier, and media commitments. They were spotted by fans laughing together at press conferences, strolling through airports, and in dugouts. It appeared to the outer world to be a friendship based on devotion and trust.
But behind the scenes, that trust was unraveling. Mizuhara stole about $17 million from Ohtani’s accounts over a number of years, according to federal authorities, in a crime that shocked not only baseball but the sports community as a whole.
According to the prosecution, the funds were utilized to finance an incredible gambling addiction, resulting in wagers over $300 million and losses of around $41 million. More disturbingly, Mizuhara had impersonated Ohtani on calls with banks to gain access to funds, leaving the player completely in the dark.
Former Shohei Ohtani interpreter Ippei Mizuhara begins 57-month prison sentence https://t.co/K6fUvh9xZc
— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) June 16, 2025
Mizuhara entered a guilty plea to charges of filing a fake tax return and bank fraud. He apologized and acknowledged his gambling issue during his sentencing earlier this year. Judge John W. Holcomb, however, dismissed it as being full of “misleading excuses” and rejected his written apologies. The maximum recommended term of four years and nine months in jail was imposed by the court.
Mizuhara did not report to the Southern California facility he had requested but rather to the Federal Correctional Institution in Allenwood, Pennsylvania, on Monday. Prosecutors and his defense team concur that he will probably be sent to Japan after completing his sentence. Despite not being a citizen, Mizuhara was raised in the United States.
Last of Scandal, Now Focusing on Baseball
Ohtani, who signed a record $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers to start a new chapter in his career, has largely kept silent about the experience. By all accounts, Ohtani was caught off guard by this treachery, which has been extremely personal.
Mizuhara was officially accused the next month after being fired by the Dodgers in March 2024. Despite having occurred in courtrooms and garnered media attention, the incident is fundamentally a very personal story of friendship gone wrong and the terrible cost of misplaced trust.
Ohtani can begin to move on, now that the legal proceedings are complete, focusing on his career and passion in the hopes of avoiding the commotion and making his on-field performance more noticeable.