Shohei Ohtani's first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers was marred by scandal as his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, was sentenced to federal prison for embezzling nearly $17 million. Mizuhara had been with Ohtani since his rookie season but used his position to steal from him without Ohtani's knowledge. After a federal investigation found incriminating evidence, including an audio recording of Mizuhara impersonating Ohtani for fraudulent bank transactions, he faced legal consequences and has began serving a 57-month sentence. The Dodgers dismissed Mizuhara amid the scandal, highlighting the deep betrayal of trust.
According to Tisha Thompson, Mizuhara began serving his sentence at Federal Correctional Institution Allenwood Low on Monday.
The most damning piece of evidence against Mizuhara was an audio recording of him impersonating Ohtani during a phone conversation with a bank official.
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