Mizuhara pleaded guilty last year to one count each of bank fraud and subscribing to a false tax return, admitting to stealing millions from the player to pay off illegal gambling debts. On Thursday, a federal judge in Orange County sentenced him to four years and nine months in prison, the same length of prison time prosecutors were seeking. The charges had carried a maximum possible sentence of 30 years.
Mizuhara must surrender to federal authorities by March 24.
Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter, arrives to his sentencing hearing at the Ronald Reagan Federal building in Santa Ana, Calif. on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud for stealing nearly $17 million from the player. Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty ImagesDuring that time, prosecutors said the contact information on Ohtani's bank account was changed, and rather than including the player's information, it linked to an anonymous email address connected to Mizuhara as well as his phone number. Prosecutors said he also called the bank and falsely identified himself as Ohtani so he could get wire transfers from the player's account to reach the illegally gambling associates he was trying to pay off.
As his primary translator, Mizuhara was tasked with helping Ohtani communicate with fans and his English-speaking teammates. The Japanese player is widely recognized as one of the biggest stars in the league, nabbing his first World Series win last year and breaking a major MBA record during the same season — becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season.
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