Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, has officially begun serving his prison sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution Allenwood Low, a low-security facility in Allenwood, Pennsylvania, according to ESPN’s Tisha Thompson. Mizuhara, 40, was required to report to federal authorities by Monday and is now in custody.
Originally scheduled to begin his sentence in March, Mizuhara was granted a delay by a federal judge, though the reasons for that delay remain confidential. In February, he was sentenced to 57 months in prison after pleading guilty to federal charges of tax and bank fraud. Mizuhara admitted to embezzling approximately \$17 million from Ohtani’s accounts, allegedly to pay off gambling debts to an illegal bookmaker. Evidence also surfaced of Mizuhara impersonating Ohtani in a recorded phone call to a bank in an attempt to authorize a large wire transfer.
Following his prison term, Mizuhara may be deported to Japan. The bookmaker involved in the case, Matthew Bowyer, has also pleaded guilty to federal charges.
The timing of Mizuhara’s prison entry is notable—it coincides with the day Ohtani is scheduled to return to pitching after nearly two years away from the mound.
