Ohtani's ex-interpreter sentenced to 4 years, 9 months in prison

Mizuhara Ippei, the former interpreter for Major League Baseball player Ohtani Shohei, has been sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison. He had pleaded guilty last year to stealing millions of dollars from the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar. Mizuhara was sentenced at a federal court in California on Thursday.

Prosecutors charged him with bank fraud and filing a false tax return. They say he illegally transferred nearly 17 million dollars from Ohtani's bank account. The two sides reached a plea deal last June in which Mizuhara admitted to the charges.

His attorney requested a sentence of a year and a half. He said he was struggling financially and began betting because he was desperate for money. Prosecutors argued that his actions were driven not by gambling addiction but by greed.