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

Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, is facing sentencing after pleading guilty to bank and tax fraud charges, and recently tried to claim that a gambling addiction and poor working conditions led to him stealing millions from his employer.

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

But federal prosecutors are disputing Mizuhara's attempt at sympathy in new court documents filed this week. 

In hopes of receiving a lighter sentence, Mizuhara said he suffered from a "long-standing" addiction to gambling, but per an ESPN report, prosecutors said there's no evidence of an addiction other than "self-serving and uncorroborated statements to the psychologist he hired for the purposes of sentencing."

Far from a pattern of gambling, the investigation turned up just $200 in bets from Mizuhara at the Mirage casino in 2008. He signed up for a FanDuel account in 2018 but never used it, then started betting with DraftKings in 2023 after he "had already stolen millions of dollars from Mr. Ohtani," prosecuters said.

He also lied about having a "tremendous debt" when he started gambling, as well as his intentions to pay Ohtani back.

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani stands with his agent Nez Balelo (left) and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara at an introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium on Dec. 14, 2023. Photo: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

When Mizuhara first stole money from Ohtani's account, it was a "modest $40,000" in September 2021, while he had more than $34,000 in his checking account. Prosecutors said he could have "used his own money to pay the bookie but instead chose to steal from Mr. Ohtani."

And he took whatever winnings he accumulated from the