Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud on Wednesday, per the Associated Press.
Mizuhara was alleged of stealing $16 million from Ohtani for sports gambling purposes, running up a whopping $40 million debt in the process. Ohtani was deemed to be a victim in the ordeal and not involved in Mizuhara’s dealings.
Ohtani’s former interpreter reportedly laundered money through a Las Vegas casino, and ESPN shared a strange twist on Wednesday that Mizuhara wired money to The Real Housewives of Orange County star Ryan Boyajian, a bookmaker’s associate, to pay off gambling debts.
Mizuhara could face up to 30 years in prison for a count of bank fraud alone, per the AP, but that sentence will may be lessened by his guilty plea.
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