...
By Noah Camras
Contributing Sports Writer
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Major League Baseball has cleared Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani of any wrongdoings following Ippei Mizuhara's guilty plea on Tuesday.
Mizuhara, the former interpreter and close friend of Ohtani, pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud in federal court Tuesday, and faces up to 33 years in prison. Mizuhara's sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 25.
"I worked for Victim A [Ohtani] and I had access to his bank account and I had fallen into major gambling debt, and the only way that I could think of was to use his money," Mizuhara said in court on Tuesday, via ESPN. "I had access to Bank A. So I went ahead and wired money for my gambling debt with his bank account."
Read More on MLB
Mizuhara's guilty plea, compiled with MLB's own investigation, led to the league clearing Ohtani of any wrongdoing and calling him a victim in this matter.
"Based on the thoroughness of the federal investigation that was made public, the information MLB collected, and the criminal proceeding being resolved without being contested, MLB considers Shohei Ohtani a victim of fraud and this matter has been closed," MLB's statement read.
Following the conclusion of MLB's investigation, the Dodgers organization released a statement on social media.
"With today's plea in the criminal proceedings against Ippei Mizuhara and the conclusion of both federal and MLB investigations, the Dodgers are pleased that Shohei and the team can put this entire matter behind them and move forward in pursuit of a World Series title," the Dodgers' statement read.
Ohtani then released a statement thanking the authorities for completing the investigation and everyone around him for helping him navigate a difficult period.
"Now that the investigation has been completed, this full admission of guilt has brought important closure to me and my family," Ohtani said in a statement. "I want to sincerely thank the authorities for finishing their thorough and effective investigation so quickly and uncovering all of the evidence. This has been a uniquely challenging time, so I am especially grateful for my support team my family, agent, agency, lawyers, and advisors along with the entire Dodger organization, who showed endless support throughout this process. It's time to close this chapter, move on and continue to focus on playing and winning ballgames."
...
Mizuhara was charged with stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani to fuel his gambling addiction. He was fired by the Dodgers while the team was in Korea in March, and has since been under investigation by federal authorities.
Ohtani said when the team returned from Korea on March 25 that he was a victim of fraud, and Mizuhara has been "stealing money from my account and has told lies."
Ohtani's account has been corroborated by the investigation, and he can now shift his focus to baseball.
Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers in Dec. 2023.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines