SENTENCED: Ippei Mizuhara Headed To Prison After Stealing $17M From Shohei Ohtani

Justice has come for Shohei Ohtani's corrupt interpreter, who funneled millions of dollars from the baseball unicorn's bank accounts to pay off his gambling debts.

 The Los Angeles Dodgers said on March 21 they fired Shohei Ohtani's interpreter after the Japanese baseball star's representatives claimed he had been the victim of "a massive theft" reported to involve millions of dollars. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP) (Photo by JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images)

The gambling 'whodunnit' became one of the biggest scandals in baseball this past decade.

READ: Feds Say Shohei Ohtani's Interpreter Is Lying, Release More Details

As reported by ESPN's Alden Gonzalez, Ippei was sentenced to 57 months in prison, also due to owe back $1 million to the IRS and $18 million in restitution to Ohtani. Mizuhara, born in Japan and slated to be deported, must report to prison on March 24.

Mizuhara, 40, has been an interpreter and close associate of Ohtani's since the latter began playing baseball for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league in 2013.

READ: Shohei Ohtani's Former Interpreter Blames Working Conditions For Stealing Money

Last year, Mizuhara admitted to bank fraud and filed a false tax return.

After accumulating gambling debts with a Southern California bookie, Mizuhara began stealing money from Ohtani's bank accounts, sometimes imitating the player over the phone to access funds and loans.

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 21: Shohei Ohtani (C) of the Los Angeles Dodgers talks with his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara (L) and agent Nez Balelo (R) prior to the game between the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on December 21, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Mizuhara's defense team argued in court that Ippei had a gambling addiction, which contributed to his tendency to steal Ohtani's money.

Ippei also claimed that the baseball star was overworking him. Mizuhara's legal team vied for an 18-month sentence.

The ‘fake’ UCR grad (Ippei) stole roughly $17 million from Ohtani, who signed with the Dodgers last year on a 10-year, $700 million contract.

"I want to say I am truly sorry to Mr. Ohtani for what I have done," Mizuhara said in Orange County (Calif.) court Thursday.

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