MLB star Ohtani's interpreter sentenced to nearly five years in jail

1 month ago 31

Samantha Granville

BBC News, Los Angeles

Getty Images Ippei Mizuhara seen outside a California courthouse. Photographers surround him and he's wearing a white button-down shirt and black suit jacket. Getty Images

Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter of Los Angeles Dodgers baseball star Shohei Ohtani, has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison for a fraud and gambling scheme.

He was ordered to pay nearly $17m (£13.6m) back to the star after admitting to bank and tax fraud charges. He was also ordered to pay more than $1m to the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in past taxes.

Mizuhara, who had been Ohtani's English interpreter since his US Major League Baseball debut in 2018, was fired amid media reports last year about his gambling activities, which prompted investigations into Ohtani's finances.

A probe revealed Mizuhara stole nearly $17 million from the athlete to pay off debts owed to a Southern California bookmaker.

Getty Images Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter to Los Angeles Dodgers's Shohei Ohtani, seen walking with the baseball star on the field. He is wearing a blue Dodgers shirt and Shohei is in his baseball uniform. Getty Images