Ippei Mizuhara Released After Court Appearance, Faces Strict Set Of Bond Conditions
Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, has been released by authorities after appearing in U.S. District court on Friday afternoon.
The interpreter was released on a $25,000 "signature bond," which means that if he was to violate any of the conditions of his bond, he would have to pay the court that $25k. He entered the courtroom in shackles (no handcuffs) and later had the shackles removed at his attorney’s request. The hearing itself lasted roughly 10 minutes, and then Mizuhara left the courtroom.
Mizuhara (left) stole roughly $16 million from Shohei Ohtani (right) to gamble. They are pictured here in March 2024 before the MLB Seoul Series baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP) (Photo by JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images)
Naturally, Mizuhara’s bond conditions are quite strict, considering that he stole $16 million from Ohtani. Those conditions include the following:
- Mizuhara cannot gamble in any capacity, go in a gambling establishment, or associate with bookkeepers
- He must not contact any of the victims in the case in any form
- He must undergo treatment for his gambling addiction
- He must submit to a drug test
He also surrendered his passport, and must remain in the Central District of California’s jurisdiction.
READ: Illegal Bookie Threatened To Confront Shohei Ohtani As Ippei Mizuhara Ducked Calls
After the hearing was over, Mizuhara’s attorney - Michael Freedman - released a statement on the interpreter’s behalf.
"He wishes to apologize to Mr. Ohtani, the Dodgers, Major League Baseball, and his family," the apology read.
The interpreter will be arraigned on May 9.
According to ABC 7 Chicago, Mizuhara made nearly 25 bets per day from December 2021 through January 2024, with an average wager of $12,600. While he did win $142 million, he also lost $183 million, for a total loss of $41 million.