Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, sent a letter to Judge John W. Holcomb asking for leniency in his criminal sentence and outlining the reasons for his gambling issues.
Mizuhara committed bank and tax fraud when he stole nearly $17 million of Ohtani’s money to pay off gambling debts.
Federal prosecutors asked for a 57-month prison sentence, while also asking Mizuhara to pay $16.9 million in restitution to Ohtani and an additional $1.1 million to the IRS.
CLICK HERE for more sports coverage on FoxNews.com
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) with translator Ippei Mizuhara against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training baseball game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA Today Sports)
Mizuhara asked for an 18-month prison sentence while revealing the factors in his life that led him to gamble in his letter obtained by The Athletic.
Mizuhara said he has sacrificed his life and the lives of his family since becoming Ohtani’s interpreter/manager in late 2017.
“Normally, when a Japanese baseball player goes to the US, they would bring over several staff members to take care of various tasks, such as a driver, trainer, cook, off-the-field interpreter/support member, etc. .
“So naturally I had to support him with most of the above tasks. I drove him everywhere he needed, went on frequent grocery runs, ran random errands when he needed them, so I felt that I was on call 24/7.”
Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpretation characters,
Ippei Mizuhara, the translator for Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, during an introductory news conference at Dodger Stadium. (Kirby Lee-USA Today Sports)
Mizuhara said the busy baseball schedule combined with the international time difference dealing with Ohtani’s management team in Japan would keep him up late at night on the phone, causing him to lose sleep.
Mizuhara said the offseason was more difficult than the baseball season because of Ohtani’s demanding schedule.
“The off season was much harder both physically and mentally. Shohei would train 5-6 times a week and I was responsible for reserving the facility, setting up and cleaning up all the practice equipment, recording and tracking all of his drills, being His training partner (as the was just him and I during all the offseason training), driving him back and forth and communicating all of this back to the Angels and his personal pitching/framers/rehabilitation people in the US.”
“I would also run daily errands such as the grocery store, check his mailbox, fix his bike, accompany him when he went back to Iwate Prefecture to visit his family, take his dog to the vet and groomer, drop off and pick up his Dinner with peers, while I waited in the car, helped coordinate Japanese and American lawyers for his marriage after the birth and attend meetings, etc.”
In addition to those duties, Mizuhara said he was responsible for communicating with the endorsements and brokerages to set up Ohtani’s commercial shots. These shots were once a week between off-seasons, leaving Mizuhara with little free time.
Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter Ippei Mizuhara agrees to plead guilty to Federal Bank, tax fraud charges
Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani (right) and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara attend the game between the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints at Sofi Stadium. (Kirby Lee-USA Today Sports)
With all the work he did for Ohtani, Mizuhara said he felt severely underpaid. Mizuhara said the Angels paid him $85,000 in 2018, $87,000 from 2019 to 2021, $99,611.16 in 2022 and $250,000 in 2023; But Ohtani paid him approx. $11,000 per year.
“I felt like I was severely underpaid, but I was afraid to speak up for myself since I was on a one-year contract every year, and I didn’t want to upset them and risk being fired,” Mizuhara said.
Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki says he wants to try an ‘American hamburger’ after signing with the Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani (left) and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara (right) pose with Los Angeles Rams mascot Rampage (Center) at Sofi Stadium. (Kirby Lee-USA Today Sports)
Another challenge of working for Ohtani was that Mizuhara had to live close to Ohtani, which meant he had to pay higher rent to have a place near him.
“All these extra expenses took a huge toll on me and I was living paycheck to paycheck. There were months when I had to borrow money from family and friends to make ends meet.”
Mizuhara said he had opportunities to help himself financially, “such as writing books, doing TV/radio interviews, and appearing in TV commercials, which would have helped me financially, but they were all shut down by Shohei and his company in Japan .”
Among the salary, high demands of his job and not being able to make any money for himself on the side, Mizuhara said he thought gaming could be an opportunity to help himself financially.
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani talks with translator Ippei Mizuhara in the dugout against the San Francisco Giants during a spring training baseball game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA Today Sports)
“Before I knew it, my gambling debt had grown so much that I couldn’t find any way to pay it but by using Shohei’s money,” Mizuhara said. “I felt terribly guilty about getting my hands on his money, but at the time it seemed like the only solution.”
Mizuhara can now only hope that Judge Holcomb can find some sympathy for him in his sentencing, with his side of the story now out there.
