Baseball star Ohtani's ex-interpreter to admit fraud
STORY: :: File
Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter will plead guilty to charges he stole millions from the athlete’s bank account to pay off his own gambling debts.
The deal between federal prosecutors and Ippei Mizuhara was filed on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, where the case was first brought.
The onetime translator and de facto manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ power-hitting pitcher was accused of embezzling nearly $17 million from a bank account of Ohtani's.
He allegedly transferred the funds without the ballplayer's knowledge to an illegal bookmaking operation to cover his gambling debts.
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:: Mona Edwards
In the agreement, the 39-year-old agreed to plead guilty to one count of felony bank fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return.
A federal bank fraud conviction is punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
Mizuhara is next due to appear in court on May 14 for a formal arraignment.
According to a U.S. attorney spokesperson, he would likely enter his plea at a subsequent hearing and be sentenced sometime after that.
In the meantime, Mizuhara remains free on a $25,000 bond on condition he complies with a judge's order last month to undergo gambling addiction treatment and refrain from any contact with bookmakers, gambling establishments or Ohtani.
