Feds seek 57-month sentence for Mizuhara for defrauding Ohtani - ESPN

Federal prosecutors recommended a 57-month prison sentence Thursday for Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, and released an audio recording in which they say he impersonates Ohtani in an attempt to wire money from Ohtani's bank account.

In a separate court filing, Mizuhara's attorney, Michael G. Freedman, said that Mizuhara has suffered from a gambling addiction since he was a teenager and asked for a 18-month sentence.

Mizuhara was fired in March 2024 after an ESPN investigation uncovered he had sent millions in wire transfers from Ohtani's account to an illegal bookmaker. He pleaded guilty to bank fraud and filing a false tax return in June, admitting that he stole nearly $17 million from Ohtani to pay off gambling debts to an illegal bookmaker. He is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 6.

According to the prosecutors' filing, Mizuhara called the bank and impersonated Ohtani on approximately 24 occasions in order to wire money from Ohtani's account. In the recording, which prosecutors said was taken on Feb. 2, 2022, a bank employee asked Mizuhara to identify himself.

«Who am I speaking with?» the bank employee asked in the recording, which was first obtained by The Athletic.

«Shohei Ohtani,» Mizuhara replied.

Mizuhara told the bank employee that he could not log in to online banking. «I tried to make a wire transfer a couple of days ago. They told me that's probably the reason, they transferred me to this number,» he said.

After Mizuhara recited a six-digit code she texted him for two-factor authentication, Mizuhara told her he needed to send $200,000 for a car loan.

«What is your relationship to the payee?» the agent asked.

«He's my friend,» Mizuhara responded.

«Have you