Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $17m from the Japanese baseball player to pay off illegal gambling debts.
The former interpreter for the Los Angeles Dodgers player pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud in a federal court on Tuesday.
Mizuhara pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud, which carries a maximum 30-year prison sentence, and one count of filing a false tax return, which has a maximum three-year prison sentence, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
US District Judge John Holcomb has scheduled sentencing for October 25.
Mizuhara’s hearing came hours after MLB banned a San Diego Padres infielder from baseball for life in the wake of another gambling scandal.
Major League Baseball said Tucupita Marcano placed 387 baseball bets totalling more than $150,000 in October 2022 and from last July through November with a legal sportsbook. He became the first active player in a century banned for life because of gambling. Four others were suspended Tuesday.