Japanese Shohei Ohtani is one of American sports' biggest stars. Three years in a row, he has been named baseball's most valuable player and is one of only two players to have received the award in both National League and American League.
He is known for being equally skilled as a pitcher and a batter. Last fall, he led the Los Angeles Dodgers to victory in the World Series.
Paid off gambling debts
Shohei Ohtani sits on a ten-year contract worth nearly eight billion kronor since he left the Los Angeles Angels for the Dodgers in 2023. It is the most lucrative deal an athlete has signed.
However, his English is shaky – and that's where Ippei Mizuhara came into the picture. Partly as an interpreter, partly as a link between Shohei Ohtani and his teammates and numerous American fans.
Mizuhara's weakness for gambling – preferably in illegal contexts – was his downfall. The former interpreter began to embezzle Ohtani's millions to pay off his debts. When the extent of the fraud was revealed last year, Mizuhara had stolen around 190 million kronor.
"Completely shameless"
According to the investigation, Mizuhara placed 19,000 bets between December 2021 and January 2024.
Mr. Mizuhara has lied, cheated, and stolen. His behavior has been completely shameless, says prosecutor Joseph T. McNally to American media.
On Thursday, Ippei Mizuhara was sentenced to nearly five years in prison and a conditional sentence of an additional three years by a court in Santa Ana, California. He must also repay Ohtani what he embezzled, as well as twelve million kronor to the American tax authority.
