Baseball star Ohtani's ex-interpreter sentenced to prison for theft


Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani, leaves the federal court, on the day of sentencing after pleading guilty to bank fraud and tax-evasion charges, in Santa Ana, California, U.S., February 6, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Blake

(Reuters) -A former interpreter was sentenced on Thursday to nearly five years in prison for stealing $17 million from Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani to pay off gambling debts, according to a court document.

Ippei Mizuhara, the onetime translator and de facto manager of the power-hitting pitcher from Japan, was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison, the punishment prosecutors had sought, and also ordered by U.S. District Judge John Holcomb to pay restitution of over $18 million, according to a U.S. District Court, Central District of California sentencing document. Mizuhara pleaded guilty last year.

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