Ex-Ohtani interpreter gets nearly 5 yrs in prison over bank fraud

Ippei Mizuhara, a former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, was sentenced Thursday to four years and nine months in prison in connection with the theft of nearly $17 million from the baseball player.Mizuhara, 40, pleaded guilty to committing bank fraud in stealing from Ohtani's account to cover gambling debts and other personal expenses, a crime that has stunned the baseball world and Ohtani's fans since it surfaced nearly a year ago.Mizuhara's defense counsel had called for a prison sentence of 18 months but a federal district court in Santa Ana, California, backed the…READ FULL ARTICLE