(Los Angeles) Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, pleaded not guilty to charges of bank and tax fraud on Tuesday.
Posted at 3:36 p.m.
Stefanie Dazio Associated Press
It’s a formality ahead of a plea deal he negotiated with federal prosecutors in a sprawling sports betting case.
Prosecutors say Mizuhara stole nearly US$17 million from Ohtani to pay off his sports gambling debts during a years-long scheme, sometimes posing as Ohtani to bankers, and exploited his relationship personal and professional with the Dodgers player.
Mizuhara signed a plea agreement detailing the allegations on May 5, and prosecutors announced it several days later.
At his arraignment in Los Angeles federal court Tuesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jean P. Rosenbluth asked Mizuhara to plead to one count of bank fraud and one count of underwriting a false income tax return.
The expected not guilty plea was a procedural step while the case moves forward, even though he has already accepted the plea deal and defense attorney Michael G. Freedman said he is considering in the future to plead guilty.
Members of the media were not allowed into the main courtroom and were seated in an audio-only room. The Associated Press and other media outlets filed a complaint with the court clerk.
Mizuhara spoke only to answer the judge’s questions, with responses like “yes, ma’am” when asked if he understood the procedure.
There was no evidence that Ohtani was involved or aware of Mizuhara’s bets. Authorities said the star player was cooperating with investigators.
Mizuhara’s plea agreement notes that he will have to pay restitution to Ohtani that could total nearly 17 million, as well as more than a million to the United States Internal Revenue Service. These amounts could change before sentencing.
The bank fraud charge is punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison, and the false tax filing charge is punishable by up to three years in federal prison.
Mizuhara’s winning bets totaled more than 142 million, which he deposited into his own bank account and not Ohtani’s. But his losing bets totaled around 183 million, a net loss of almost 41 million. He didn’t bet on baseball.
Mizuhara was released on a $25,000 unsecured bond, colloquially known as a signature bond, meaning he did not have to provide any money or collateral to be released. If he violates the bail conditions – which include a requirement to undergo gambling addiction treatment – he will have to pay $25,000.
The Los Angeles Times and ESPN broke news of the lawsuits in late March, prompting the Dodgers to fire the interpreter and Major League Baseball to launch its own investigation.
Major League Baseball rules prohibit players and team employees from betting on baseball, even legally. The league also prohibits betting on other sports by illegal or unregistered bettors.
2024-05-14 20:06:48
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