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The former interpreter of Dodgers Shohai Otani surrendered to authorities in Pennsylvania on Monday, launching federal prison terms for banking and tax fraud resulting from theft of funds from three league MVPs, and paying off his incredible gambling debt.
Mizuhara, Newport Beach, has been sentenced to five years in prison for stealing nearly $17 million from Otani without the knowledge of the baseball star. Suwon pleaded guilty to fraud charges and admitted to stealing funds to pay sports betting debts.
The Mizhara lawsuit proceedings took place in Santa Ana, but federal prison authorities confirmed with the NBCLA that the 40-year-old is in custody in Pennsylvania. A spokesperson confirmed it was processed around noon Monday at the Low Security Federal Correctional Center in Allenwood, Pennsylvania, at the Low Security Federal Correctional Center, about 200 miles east of Pittsburgh.
It was not immediately clear why Mizuhara surrendered there. The NBCLA reached out to his lawyers for comment.
At his sentence hearing, Mizhara apologized for his actions and accepted responsibility for his crimes. He also apologized to Ohatani and his family, as well as the government, the judges and the Dodgers.
His case was part of a larger investigation into illegal sportsbook making organizations in Southern California. His winning bet totals over $142,256,000, while his lost bet is around $182,935,000. The total loss was over $40,679,000, according to the affidavit.
The surrender date was late.
“Traditionally, if someone works heavily with the federal government to find other gamblers they might want to try, it could take a lot of time even before he reports to prison,” said Royal Oaks, a legal analyst at NBCLA. “We can see many heavy hitters in the world of gambling, where this translator has been selected with a finger.
“To lose $16 million, you have to work with a lot of these people, and you can work with the Fed in a very heavy way, chasing some of these people.”
Ippei Mizuhara told the judge that after falling into massive gambling debt, the only way he could think of was to spend Otani’s money. NBC Los Angeles Hettichan Report.
Mizuhara served as an interpreter between Otani and his English-speaking teammates and fans, but authorities said they used the trust of a baseball star built over the years when they traveled to ballparks across the United States. The Mizuhara case was revealed as part of a massive investigation into an illegal sportsbook making organization in Southern California, and as part of the laundry of revenues through a Las Vegas casino that has won dozens of defendants.
In a letter to the court, Suwon explained his financial tension and his dependence on gambling. He also expressed regret.
“I am asking for a little mercy from the court for my decision you are telling me,” Mizuhara wrote. “I really admired the shoes he as a baseball player and as a human, and I have committed to dedicating my life so that I can make my life the best version on the field.
Prosecutors accused him of using money stolen from one of the world’s most popular and paid athletes with longtime friends to make incredible numbers of bets, supporting the “greedy appetite” of sports betting. The allegations against the Orange County man were outlined in a lengthy criminal charge in favour of federal bank fraud charges.
The day after the federal accusations were announced in April 2024, Mizuhara apologized to Otani in a statement made through his lawyers, indicating that the transaction was likely.
According to criminal charges filed in the gambling scandal, Mizuhara placed around 19,000 bets between December 2021 and January 2024, with an average of nearly 25 bets per day. The wagering ranged between about $10 and $160,000 per unit, with an average wagering amount of about $12,800.
Complaints written by the IRS Senior Special Agents cite wire transfers, text messages, phone records and interviews. In a text message to the bookmaker, Mizuhara admitted that he was stealing money from Otani’s account, prosecutors said. Suwon’s investigation was part of a larger probe that included illegal gambling operations.
Prosecutors said there was no evidence Ohtani approved the transfer from his account, characterising the baseball superstar as a victim of the incident. Otani reportedly supports the investigative authorities.
The record shows no bets on baseball. League Rule 21 says players and team employees are prohibited from placing bets with baseball or illegal or offshore bookmakers. It also mentions the punishments that could be left mostly in the league’s front offices.
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