The Shohei Ohtani betting scandal hasn’t had any ties to Pennsylvania … until now.
His former interpreter with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ippei Mizuhara, has been sentenced to a Pennsylvania prison for stealing nearly $17 million of Ohtani’s money for illegal sports betting.
Much of the story has been centered in Los Angeles, where much of the illegal activity occurred. Mizuhara pleaded guilty to fraud charges after using Ohtani’s money to pay off sports betting debts.
Mizuhara will serve five years at a low-security federal correctional center in Allenwood, about 200 miles east of Pittsburgh, according to NBC Los Angeles.
Interpreter lost $40M gambling
It is not known why Mizuhara turned himself in while in Pennsylvania, where he’ll be serving the duration of his sentence.
The case gained global attention because of Ohtani, who is a star athlete for the Dodgers. He’s one of the only a few players in MLB history to be an excellent pitcher and an incredible hitter at the same time.
The Dodgers employed Mizuhara as an interpreter for Ohtani, who hails from Japan. He helped Ohtani communicate with the media and fans during appearances.
An affidavit said Mizuhara lost more than $40 million gambling, which led to a separate investigation into an illegal betting ring. California has not legalized sports betting like Pennsylvania has, which offers several online sportsbooks.
Between December 2021 and January 2024, Mizuhara placed about 19,000 bets, with an average of 25 per day. The amount of wagers ranged from $10 to $160,000. His average bet size was nearly $13,000.
Investigators found no evidence that Ohtani authorized bank transfers or placed any sports bets.
