shohei ohtani – FairOdds Network

April 2, 2025

Ohtani’s ex-interpreter scheduled to report to prison in May after delay

Ippei Mizuhara is set to surrender to federal authorities this spring to serve a 57-month sentence stemming from gambling-related crimes.

Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, has received a new date to report to federal prison for crimes related to his gambling. Mizuhara is scheduled to surrender to federal authorities by 12 May, according to court filings unsealed this week.

The disgraced confidant of the MLB star was sentenced to in February to 57 months imprisonment for embezzling $17 million (€15.8 million/£13.2 million) from Ohtani. The interpreter used the stolen funds to repay a portion of his sports gambling debts with an illegal California bookmaker.

The new date is nearly two months past Mizuhara’s initial reporting deadline of 24 March. Mizuhara pleaded guilty last June to one count of bank fraud and a count of signing a fraudulent tax return.

Delayed reporting date

Over a 37-month span, Mizuhara placed more than 19,000 wagers with an enterprise operate..

February 7, 2025

Mizuhara gets 57-month prison term; judge says he “undermined” himself

Former Shohei Ohtani Japanese-language interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was sentenced on Thursday (6 February) to 57 months in federal prison and three years of parole. He was also ordered to pay more than $18 million (£14.5 million/€17.3 million) in restitution after stealing from Ohtani to fund an illegal gambling habit.

US district judge John Holcomb said Mizuhara “undermined” himself with a letter he wrote to the court asking for an 18-month sentence. Holcomb said he gave the letter no weight because Mizuhara “misrepresented truths” and it “suffered from (missing) important facts”.

Mizuhara, who pleaded guilty to two federal counts in June, stole nearly $17 million from Ohtani for gambling debts. On Thursday he was sentenced in US District Court for the Central District of California. The maximum sentence for one count of bank fraud and one count of signing a fraudulent tax return was 33 years.

He asked for and was granted 45 days to report to begin his sentence in a Southern Califo..

August 9, 2024

Bowyer pleads guilty; sentencing for US illegal bookie set for February

Mathew Bowyer, who ran an illegal bookmaking business for at least five years in California, pleaded guilty on Friday (9 August) to three federal charges. Bowyer had more than 700 customers, including former Shohei Ohtani interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.
Bowyer told Judge John W Holcomb, “I was running an illegal gambling operation, laundering money through other people’s bank accounts.” The hearing was held at the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and US Courthouse in Santa Ana, California.

That is the same location at which Mizuhara pleaded guilty to stealing $17m from Ohtani to bet with Bowyer. Mizuhara faces up to 33 years in prison and is set to be sentenced in October.

Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara faces up to 33 years in prison. Photo by Jill R Dorson
Holcomb set Bowyer’s sentencing for 7 February 2025. He faces a maximum of 18 years in prison and three years of probation. He could be fined $750,000 or two times the “gross gain or gross loss resulting from the of..

August 2, 2024

Mizuhara bookie Mathew Bowyer charged in illegal California wagering ring, set to plead guilty

Mathew Bowyer, an illegal bookmaker with deep connections to Las Vegas’ gambling scene, is set to plead guilty in a high-profile betting case involving a former interpreter for Major League Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani.
Bowyer is charged with multiple counts of illegal gambling activities. Among these charges are running an unlicensed sportsbook, filing a false tax return and money laundering. According to a US department of justice notice, federal prosecutors have outlined a case demonstrating that Bowyer facilitated and profited from a large-scale illegal sports betting ring, which implicated various figures in the sports world.

The illegal southern California wagering ring involved high-profile clients, including athletes and executives.

Most notable among those figures was Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. He pleaded guilty in June to bank fraud and filing a false tax return. He has to return to court in October for sentencing.

If convicted, Bowyer could face up ..

March 25, 2024

Ohtani: ‘I have never bet on sports or willfully sent money to the bookmaker’

On Monday (25 March), during a press conference regarding the sports betting scandal swirling around his former interpreter, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani vehemently denied that he ever bet on sports, sent money to an illegal bookmaker or “willfully” paid off gambling debts for anyone.

The comments were in response to the news last week that Ohtani’s interpreter and friend, Ippei Mizuhara, was stealing from him to support a gambling habit.

“I have never bet on baseball or any other sports or have asked anyone to do that for me,” Ohtani said in a prepared statement. “Up until a couple of days ago, I didn’t know this was happening. In conclusion Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has been telling lies.”

Ohtani appeared with a new interpreter and did not take questions after the statement.

The man who owns baseball’s richest contract – he signed a 10-year, $700m deal with the Dodgers during the off season – was earnest, straightforward and direct in his ..

March 20, 2024

Baseball star Ohtani’s lawyers: Interpreter stole for illegal sports betting

The Los Angeles Times claims lawyers for baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani are accusing the ballplayer's interpreter of stealing money and placing “bets with an allegedly illegal bookmaker who is the target of a federal investigation”.

The Los Angeles Times broke the story today (20 March) claiming baseball superstar Ohtani’s lawyers are accusing the ballplayer’s interpreter Ippei Mizuhara of “massive theft” for illegal sports betting.

According to the Times’ report, learning of the theft was incidental after Ohtani’s name turned up during an investigation into Michael Bowyer.

“Millions” of dollars involved in illegal sports betting investigation

Two sources told the newspaper that “millions of dollars” were involved. Federal agents “raided” Bowyer’s Orange County, California. home last year as part of an illegal sports betting investigation, and the Times discovered Ohtani’s name came up in that investigation.

According to an ESPN report, $4.5m was wired out of Ohtani’s acco..

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Tag: shohei ohtani