Shohei Ohtani’s translator (and friend) pleads guilty

Ippei Mizuhara, the ex-interpreter of Shohei Ohtani, the famous Los Angeles Dodgers baseball player whose scandal rocked the MLB world, has reached its climax…

…as Mizuhara pleaded guilty to tax fraud when he appeared in court in Santa Ana, California.

MLB concluded its internal investigation just after Mizuhara pleaded guilty. It declared that, given the completeness of the information gathered and the uncontested resolution of the criminal proceedings, Shohei Ohtani was a victim, and therefore closed the case.

Many doubt the veracity of this conclusion…

Ohtani has been exonerated of all charges against him.

He issued a press release expressing his deep relief and also thanked those who had supported him. Ohtani stressed the importance of moving on.

Remember that Mizuhara was accused of embezzling Ohtani’s money by paying himself nearly $17 million without his consent to cover gambling debts.

Mizuhara admitted making more than 19,000 bets between December 2020 and January 2024, winning more than $142 million, but losing more than $182 million…

Mizuhara, 39, faces 33 years in prison and will be sentenced on October 25.