Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter pleads guilty to two counts of fraud

The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani has entered a plea of guilty to charges of bank fraud and tax fraud after prosecutors say he stole $17 million from Ohtani to support a gambling habit.

Ippei Mizuhara pleaded not guilty last month in a Los Angeles federal court, but his attorney indicated to a judge at the time that a plea agreement was in place.

Mizuhara, 39, could face up to 30 years for the first count and an additional three years for the second, although his lack of criminal record, cooperation and eligibility for minimum-sentence reductions could result in less jail time. 

Under the proposed plea agreement, Mizuhara would have to pay nearly $17 million in restitution to Ohtani, the two-time American League Most Valuable Player who's now in his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Mizuhara had served as Ohtani's interpreter since he arrived in the major leagues from Japan in 2018 and also served as the two-way star's confidant and personal assistant. He was fired this spring when reports tied Mizuhara to an alleged bookmaker under federal investigation and Ohtani's representatives claimed the interpreter stole millions of dollars from Ohtani's bank accounts.

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Ohtani was never implicated in any wrongdoing, and Major League Baseball has closed its investigation into the matter.