Baseball star Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter has prison start postponed

The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani who was supposed to begin his nearly five-year prison term on Monday, has had his surrender date postponed, according to federal prosecutors.

The reason for the change and Ippei Mizuhara ‘s new surrender date are under seal, Justice Department spokesperson Ciaran McEvoy said Monday.

Mizuhara was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana last month to four years and nine months for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly $17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. He was supposed to surrender to authorities by Monday.

Mizuhara has pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud, and he has apologized to Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the government and his family in court.

His lawyer did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press requesting comment.

As an interpreter for arguably the world’s most famous baseball player, he was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans.

But behind the scenes, authorities said Mizuhara had started accessing Ohtani’s account beginning in 2021 and changed its security protocols so he could impersonate Ohtani to authorize wire transfers.

He has acknowledged using the money to cover his growing gambling bets and debts with an illegal bookmaker, in addition to $325,000 worth of baseball cards and his own dental bills.

Mizuhara had also been ordered to pay $18 million in restitution, with nearly $17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the IRS. He was sentenced to three years’ supervised release on top of the prison sentence.

Inside baseball, Mizuhara stood by Ohtani’s side for many of the athlete’s career highlights, from serving as his catcher during the Home Run Derby at the 2021 All-Star Game, to being there for his two American League MVP wins and his record-shattering $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Off the field, Mizuhara was Ohtani’s friend and confidant. He famously resigned from the Los Angeles Angels during the 2021 MLB lockout so he could keep speaking to Ohtani, and he was rehired after a deal was struck.

This case has stoked an international media frenzy, and stemmed from a broader probe into illegal sports bookmaking organizations in Southern California and the laundering of proceeds through casinos in Las Vegas.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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