Ippei Mizuhara, a former interpreter for Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani, who was criminally charged with bank fraud, turned himself in to Los Angeles judicial authorities on the 12th. After being detained, Mizuhara was released on bail after going through court proceedings. Associated Press reported.
Michael Friedman, Mizuhara’s lawyer, said later that he hoped the suspect would “reach an agreement with the government to conclude this matter as soon as possible so that he can fulfill his responsibilities.” I would like to apologize to the players, their families, the Dodgers, and MLB.”
Shohei Otani (center) and Ippei Mizuhara (immediate right) (Seoul as of March 16)
Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg
According to the Associated Press, Mizuhara was asked by a federal district judge whether he understood the conditions of his bail, and he answered “yes.” He was also ordered by a judge to undergo treatment for gambling addiction.
The U.S. Department of Justice says Mizuhara stole more than $16 million (approximately 2.45 billion yen) from Otani to pay off debts he had racked up through gambling. An arraignment will be held on May 9th.
On the other hand, Otani was reported to beLos Angeles TimesIn Japanese, he expressed his gratitude for the Justice Department’s investigation and expressed his desire to concentrate on baseball.
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