Shohei Ohtani News: Dodgers star's ex-interpreter Ippei Mizuhara pleads guilty in gambling scandal

The ongoing saga surrounding Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara has taken a major turn as the 39-year-old will reportedly plead guilty. According to the Justice Department, Mizuhara will plead guilty to bank fraud in connection to stealing roughly $17 million from the two-time MVP to cover his gambling debts.

In one of the most shocking news stories in the MLB, the illegal gambling saga involving Mizuhara sent the baseball world into a frenzy. The news broke following the Los Angeles Dodgers' first game of the season against the San Diego Padres in South Korea.

"Ippei Mizuhara, ex-interpreter of Major League Baseball star Shohei Ohtani, agreed to plead guilty to federal charges after illegally transferring $17 million from Ohtani's bank account and without his knowledge, to pay off Mizuhara's own gambling debts" - @Reuters

The controversial former translator has reportedly agreed to plead guilty to one count of bank fraud. This comes with a maximum of 30 years in prison. He has also agreed to plead guilty to submitting a false tax return, which comes with a prison sentence of up to three years. It remains to be seen how long Mizuhara could be behind bars. However, it is clear that his punishment will be severe.

The once-beloved interpreter saw his reputation destroyed after the news of his illegal gambling and "massive theft" from Shohei Ohtani made headlines. Following the news, Mizuhara was fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers and was the subject of much scrutiny among fans and experts.

Investigations cleared Shohei Ohtani of any involvement in Ippei Mizuhara's illegal gambling

Although there were dozens of conspiracy theories floating around the internet that the Los Angeles Dodgers star was involved in the illegal gambling scandal, this turned out to be false. In March, the MLB announced that it was formally investigating Shohei Ohtani. However, the results proved that the star was not involved in the scheme.

"BREAKING: Shohei Ohtani has reportedly been cleared in a federal investigation related to his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara." - @DodgerBlue1958

Shohei Ohtani has not officially commented on Mizuhara's decision to plead guilty yet.