Ex-Shohei Ohtani interpreter negotiating guilty plea with federal authorities, per report

Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani's former translator who stands accused of stealing millions of dollars from the baseball superstar, is negotiating a guilty plea with federal investigators, according to a New York Times report.

Mizuhara, 39, acknowledged he had a gambling addiction last month in an interview with ESPN and a postgame meeting with the Los Angeles Dodgers during their season-opening series in South Korea; he was fired after attorneys for Ohtani claimed the slugger was victimized by Mizuhara, who used Ohtani's accounts to pay off $4.5 million in debts to an alleged bookmaker.

Michael Freedman, a Los Angeles-based attorney and former federal prosecutor, confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that he is representing Mizuhara. He refused comment on whether Mizuhara is negotiating a plea deal with federal officials.

It's unclear what charges Mizuhara might face, but the Times, citing three people familiar with the matter, reported that federal authorities believe they have evidence Mizuhara changed settings on Ohtani's account to mute alerts on transactions.

Ohtani, 29, grossed nearly $40 million in salary during the time he played for the Los Angeles Angels and the team employed Mizuhara as his translator; his off-field annual income was estimated to be in excess of $40 million annually during the period in which Mizuhara is alleged to have stolen money from him.

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Mizuhara originally told ESPN that Ohtani was aware of the transactions and, while disappointed that Mizuhara lost such a large sum of money, agreed to pay the debt for his friend in October. Mizuhara later retracted that story to ESPN, and Ohtani's representatives shortly thereafter leveled accusations of theft against him.

Ohtani retained Mizuhara as his translator after leaving the Angels and signing a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December. Mizuhara was his constant shadow in the public eye, be it in a ballpark, on a red carpet or attending a sporting event.

The Internal Revenue Service is spearheading the investigation into Mizuhara.