The Shohei Ohtani scandal has certainly had its fair share of twists and turns but now it appears to be coming to a conclusion, with the charged former interpreter beginning his near five-year federal prison sentence in Pennsylvania.
Ippei Mizuhara, who stole almost $17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers star through bank and tax fraud schemes, surrendered at the Allenwood low-security federal prison, located roughly 125 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
Mizuhara was convicted and sentenced earlier this year in Santa Ana federal court, receiving a sentence of four years and nine months, plus three additional years of supervised release. He must also pay restitution totaling $18 million, with around $17 million directed to Ohtani and the remainder to the Internal Revenue Service.
Authorities detailed that starting in 2021, Mizuhara secretly accessed Ohtani’s financial accounts, altering security settings to allow himself to authorize wire transfers while impersonating the baseball star.
He confessed to using the stolen funds primarily to settle gambling debts accumulated through illegal betting, while also financing personal expenses like dental care, and even a $325,000 baseball card collection.
Prior to his downfall, Mizuhara was considered one of Ohtani’s closest confidants, accompanying him through significant moments in his Major League Baseball career, so this came as a huge surprise.
He also served as Ohtani’s personal catcher during the 2021 All-Star Game Home Run Derby and celebrated his two American League MVP awards and $700 million Dodgers contract.
The prison sentence and restitution aren’t the only punishments Mizuhara is receiving though as he will also face deportation to Japan upon completing his prison sentence, even though he is a legal permanent resident of the U.S.
Ironically, Mizuhara’s incarceration coincided with Ohtani’s much-anticipated return to the pitching mound for the Dodgers, nearly two years after undergoing elbow surgery.
From now, we’re sure that Ohtani will be keeping a beady eye on his inner circle, hopefully ensuring nothing even remotely close will happen again during his playing days or beyond.
