Feds Say Shohei Ohtani's Interpreter Is Lying, Release More Details

Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, is facing sentencing after pleading guilty to bank and tax fraud charges, and recently tried to claim that a gambling addiction and poor working conditions led to him stealing millions from his employer.

READ: Shohei Ohtani's Former Interpreter Blames Working Conditions For Stealing Money

But federal prosecutors are disputing Mizuhara's attempt at sympathy in new court documents filed this week. 

In hopes of receiving a lighter sentence, Mizuhara said he suffered from a "long-standing" addiction to gambling, but per an ESPN report, prosecutors said there's no evidence of an addiction other than "self-serving and uncorroborated statements to the psychologist he hired for the purposes of sentencing."

Far from a pattern of gambling, the investigation turned up just $200 in bets from Mizuhara at the Mirage casino in 2008. He signed up for a FanDuel account in 2018 but never used it, then started betting with DraftKings in 2023 after he "had already stolen millions of dollars from Mr. Ohtani," prosecuters said.

He also lied about having a "tremendous debt" when he started gambling, as well as his intentions to pay Ohtani back.

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani stands with his agent Nez Balelo (left) and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara at an introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium on Dec. 14, 2023. Photo: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Shohei Ohtani Interpreter Lied About His Gambling Issues

When Mizuhara first stole money from Ohtani's account, it was a "modest $40,000" in September 2021, while he had more than $34,000 in his checking account. Prosecutors said he could have "used his own money to pay the bookie but instead chose to steal from Mr. Ohtani."

And he took whatever winnings he accumulated from the bookie or DraftKings and put it in his personal account, instead of replacing the money in Ohtani's account.

Even worse, Mizuhara's claims of having to pay high rents to live near Ohtani's home in Newport Becah were also false. Per the filing, Mizuhara wasn't just stealing money to gamble, "he was using Mr. Ohtani's debit card to pay his rent" without "knowledge or authorization."

"He had no expenses," they explained. "He had no loans, car payments, or rent expenses," particularly because his employer gave him a Porsche Cayenne to drive.

His bank account balance also went from $34,000 to roughly $195,000 by March 2024 when news of his betting broke during the Dodgers series in South Korea. Further eroding his case that debts and obligations effectively forced him to take money for gambling.

Not that it needed reiterating, but these new details once again end any possibility that Ohtani was involved in the gambling enterprise. Mizuhara has relentlessly lied about his situation, his actions, and now even his working conditions. If he had gotten into such bad debt that he needed help, why would he not have gone to Ohtani for help directly, instead of turning to gambling? 

Ohtani had already given him a Porsche, offered to pay $60,000 for dental work, and, per prosecutors, supported his efforts to earn more money outside his day job. Mizuhara simply wanted to gamble, saw an opportunity to use Ohtani's money to fund it, and took it.