It now looks like the Los Angeles Dodgers and star two-way player Shohei Ohtani can put the entire gambling scandal behind them.
As we’re sure you remember, Ohtani was embroiled in a dramatic scandal just as his career was getting started with the Dodgers back in March.
The reigning American League MVP was reportedly the victim of scam perpetrated by his now former-interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. Federal authorities accused Mizuhara of wiring $17 million from Ohtani’s account to pay off a gambling debt with offshore bookmaker Mathew Bowyer.
At least initially, there was some thought that Ohtani himself might have been involved. This came mere months after he inked a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers.
That has pretty much proven not to be the case. Tuesday’s news adds another layer to this.
Shohei Ohtani’s Former Interpreter Faces 33 Years
Mizuhara entered a guilty plea in a Southern California federal court on Tuesday. He pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud charges. The two counts carry a maximum prison sentence of 33 years.
“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. I had access to Bank A. So I went ahead and wired money for my gambling debt with his bank account,” Mizuhara said in court, via ESPN.
Sentencing on this matter is scheduled for Oct. 25 at 5:00 PM ET.
As for Ohtani, Major League Baseball announced shortly after Mizuhara’s guilty plea that it has closed the investigation into the 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,” the league said in a statement.
Related: Drama Continues To Follow Shohei Ohtani After First Home Run As A Los Angeles Dodger
Shohei Ohtani Releases Statement After Guilty Plea From Former Interpreter
The 29-year-old Ohtani is in the midst of a banner first season with the Dodgers after spending his initial six MLB campaigns with the Los Angeles Angels.
For the Japanese sensation, having someone close to him commit the aforementioned crimes had to hit personally. After all, Mizuhara had been working with Ohtani since the two-time MVP made his way to the states ahead of the 2018 MLB season. Ohtani released a statement following Tuesday’s news.
“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 through his interpreter. “I want to sincerely thank the authorities for finishing their thorough and effective investigation so quickly and uncovering all of the evidence.”
With this now behind him, Ohtani and the Dodgers can get on to business. He’s hitting .322 with 14 homers, 38 RBI and a .988 OPS on the season. Los Angeles entered MLB games today boasting a 38-23 record and seven games up on the San Diego Padres in the National League West.
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