Baseball star Ohtani's ex-interpreter to make first court appearance

The former interpreter for Japanese baseball great Shohei Ohtani surrendered to authorities on Friday ahead of his first court appearance to face a bank fraud charge accusing him of stealing $16 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers star to cover gambling debts.

The former interpreter for Japanese baseball great Shohei Ohtani surrendered to authorities on Friday ahead of his first court appearance to face a bank fraud charge accusing him of stealing $16 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers star to cover gambling debts. Under an agreement reached with prosecutors in advance, Ippei Mizuhara turned himself over to law enforcement and was in federal custody as of Friday morning, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles.

His initial hearing before a U.S. magistrate judge in federal court was set for 1 p.m. PDT, the spokesperson, Thom Mrozek, said. Mizuhara will not be asked to enter a plea and is expected to be released on bond, according to Mrozek. A 36-page federal criminal complaint and affidavit filed on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles alleges that Mizuhara engaged in bank fraud by embezzling $16 million from an account of Ohtani's that Mizuhara had helped set up.

Mizuhara, 39, is accused in the court documents of sending the funds without Ohtani's knowledge to an illegal sports gambling operation. On Thursday, U.S. Attorney E. Martin Estrada stressed there was nothing to suggest wrongdoing by Ohtani, who signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract to join the Dodgers this season as the league's highest-paid player.

"I want to emphasize this point. Mr. Ohtani was a victim in this case," Estrada said in announcing the results of his investigation. The outcome spared the Dodgers and Major League Baseball a potential scandal of epic proportions, recalling the controversy stirred 35 years ago when Pete Rose was accused of gambling on baseball games, including those of his own team, while he played for and managed the Cincinnati Reds.

Ohtani, 29, whose talents as a slugger and a pitcher have earned him comparisons to Babe Ruth, told reporters at a March 25 press conference that he was a victim of theft by Mizuhara and that he never bet on baseball or knowingly paid a bookmaker. If convicted on the single count of bank fraud with which he is charged, Mizuhara could face a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.

Mizuhara's attorney, Michael Freedman, told Reuters on Thursday that his client had no comment on the charge. Starting in late 2021, Mizuhara began gambling with an illegal sports book and losing substantial sums, according to the federal affidavit.

To cover his debts, Mizuhara impersonated Ohtani over the phone to "trick and deceive" bank employees into authorizing wire transfers from Ohtani's account, where the player's baseball salary was deposited, the affidavit said.

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