1 week Ago By Associated Press
The former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will plead guilty to bank and tax fraud in a sports betting case in which prosecutors allege he stole nearly US$17 million from the Japanese baseball player to pay off debts, federal prosecutors said. The scandal surrounding Ippei Mizuhara shocked baseball fans from the US to Japan when the news broke in March. Mizuhara has agreed to plead guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return, the US Justice Department said on Wednesday.
The bank fraud charge carries a maximum of 30 years in federal prison, and the false tax return a sentence of up to three years in federal prison. Under the agreement, Mizuhara will be required to pay Ohtani restitution that could total nearly US$17 million, as well as more than US$1 million to the IRS. Those amounts could change before sentencing.
Mizuhara will enter his guilty plea in the coming weeks and is set to be arraigned May 14, prosecutors said. “The extent of this defendant’s deception and theft is massive,” United States Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement. “He took advantage of his position of trust to take advantage of Mr Ohtani and fuel a dangerous gambling habit.
” Mizuhara exploited his personal and professional relationship with Ohtani to plunder millions from the two-way player’s account for years, at times impersonating Ohtani to bankers, prosecutors said. While his winning bets totalled more than US$142 mill.
