Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, faces sentencing after admitting to stealing tens of millions of {dollars} from the MLB star. Nevertheless, federal prosecutors have challenged his declare that playing dependancy was the driving drive behind his actions.
In response to court docket paperwork filed final Thursday, prosecutors argue that there is no such thing as a proof to help Mizuhara’s assertion of a long-standing playing dependancy, casting doubt on the justification for his crimes.
Rodgers: ‘Ohtani was not comfy towards Manaea’
Federal investigation reveals new particulars about Mizuhara’s monetary historical past
Mizuhara, who pled responsible to stealing from Ohtani, is ready to be sentenced on February 6. In his sentencing request, he requested for a decreased sentence of 18 months, as a substitute of the practically 5 years that prosecutors are looking for. He admitted to his actions, blaming them on what he described as a long-standing playing dependancy. Mizuhara claimed he incessantly visited casinos and that his dependancy spiraled uncontrolled, finally main him to steal from Ohtani.
Nevertheless, federal prosecutors assert that there is no such thing as a credible proof to help Mizuhara’s claims. They argue that their investigation uncovered solely minimal proof of Mizuhara’s playing actions. The proof included a report exhibiting a $200 expenditure on the Mirage on line casino in 2008, however no indicators of a considerable playing drawback. Mizuhara’s on-line playing exercise, together with a registration with DraftKings in 2023, got here after he had already stolen vital quantities from Ohtani.
Prosecutors additional emphasised that Mizuhara had greater than sufficient funds in his private checking account on the time of the theft. Actually, they discovered that Mizuhara had over $34,000 in his account when he first started transferring cash from Ohtani’s account, together with a $40,000 fraudulent switch in September 2021. In response to prosecutors, Mizuhara’s actions weren’t motivated by monetary desperation, as he had ample funds to cowl his playing bills with out resorting to theft.
Mizuhara’s lawyer, Michael Freedman, declined to touch upon the case. However, prosecutors proceed to argue that Mizuhara’s claims are a part of an try to justify his actions somewhat than present true regret for his crimes.
The sentencing of Ippei Mizuhara is extremely anticipated, as prosecutors are pushing for a harsh penalty to mirror the severity of his theft. They’re looking for a 57-month jail sentence, three years of supervised launch, and restitution funds of over $16 million to Ohtani, together with a superb of $1.1 million to the IRS.
This case highlights the rising considerations surrounding monetary misconduct in skilled sports activities, notably involving trusted figures like private interpreters and assistants. Mizuhara’s actions not solely impacted Ohtani’s funds but additionally his repute, because the fraud drew worldwide consideration to the star and his former worker.
