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Federal prosecutors disputed claims by Shohei Ohtani‘s former interpreter that he stole from the slugger to pay back massive gambling debts, saying there was no evidence he suffered from a gambling addiction before he started draining the Los Angeles Dodgers star’s bank account, according to court documents filed Thursday.

Ippei Mizuhara is due to be sentenced Feb. 6 after his June guilty plea. Last week, he asked U.S. District Judge John W. Holcomb for an 18-month sentence, instead of the nearly five years prosecutors seek. Mizuhara said he was remorseful and blamed the crime on what he called a “long-standing” addiction to gambling in which he “frequented casinos four to five times a week.”

But in their new response, prosecutors doubled down on their sentencing recommendation and said their research showed there was no evidence of a long-standing addiction other than Mizuhara’s “self-serving and uncorroborated statements to the psychologist he hired for the purposes of sentencing.”

“All defendants claim to be remorseful at the time of sentencing,” prosecutors wrote. “The question courts must answer is whether the defendant is truly remorseful or whether they are just sorry they were caught.”

Mizuhara’s attorney, Michael Freedman, declined to comment Thursday.

Prosecutors said the government’s investigation found “only minimal evidence” of Mizuhara’s past legal gambling, stating that investigators had looked at more than 30 casinos across the country and that “the only evidence found was defendant spending $200 at the Mirage casino during a weekend in 2008.”

Prosecutors attached a document containing a color photocopy of Mizuhara’s California driver’s license, along with spreadsheet images showing bets he placed at the Mirage.

Mizuhara registered for an account on FanDuel in 2018 but never placed a bet on the website, according to prosecutors. He began betting with DraftKings in 2023 after he “had already stolen millions of dollars from Mr. Ohtani,” the filing states.

Other exhibits showed Mizuhara placing bets ranging from $5 to $1,400 on NBA, NHL, soccer and college baseball games.

Prosecutors contend Mizuhara did not accumulate a “tremendous debt” that forced him to steal from Ohtani, as Mizuhara has claimed. At the time of the first fraudulent wire transfer from Ohtani’s bank account, for “a modest $40,000” in September 2021, Mizuhara had more than $34,000 in his checking account, prosecutors said.

“[Mizuhara] could have used his own money to pay the bookie but instead chose to steal from Mr. Ohtani,” prosecutors wrote.

They allege Mizuhara deposited money he received from his winnings from the bookie and DraftKings into his personal account and “had no intention of repaying Mr. Ohtani.”

In his filing to Holcomb, Mizuhara claimed that he “had to rent a place” near Ohtani and “paid hefty rent” where he ultimately settled in Newport Beach, California, while simultaneously paying rent for an apartment in Japan. He also stated in his filing that he was “living paycheck to paycheck.”

“But this is also not true,” prosecutors wrote in their filing, submitting bank statements as evidence showing “he was using Mr. Ohtani’s debit card to pay his rent” without Ohtani’s “knowledge or authorization.”

“He had no expenses,” the prosecutors continued. “He had no loans, car payments, or rent expenses,” noting Ohtani gave Mizuhara a Porsche to drive.

Mizuhara always had a “significant balance” in his checking account, prosecutors state, noting it was more than $30,000 in March 2023 and more than $195,000 in March 2024, when inquiries from ESPN led to his firing from the Dodgers and to Ohtani’s attorneys calling the wire transfers a “massive theft.”

Prosecutors also said Mizuhara turned down book and commercial deals in spite of Ohtani encouraging him “to accept the deals.” Mizuhara “did in fact write at least one book” — an illustrated children’s book about Ohtani, according to an exhibit.

Prosecutors concluded their filing by stating “a significant period of incarceration is necessary,” and reiterated their request for a sentence of 57 months in prison, three years supervised release, more than $16 million in restitution to Ohtani and $1.1 million to the IRS.

“There is no doubt” Mizuhara “feels ashamed from the international attention he received from his fraud schemes and web of lies,” the prosecutors wrote. “But instead of showing true remorse,” they allege, Mizuhara is trying to “justify stealing millions from Mr. Ohtani.”

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Ohtani opens spring with solo HR in first at-bat

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Ohtani opens spring with solo HR in first at-bat

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Shohei Ohtani put any concerns about his surgically repaired left shoulder to rest with just one at-bat.

Ohtani crushed a full-count fastball from Yusei Kikuchi over the left-field fence in his first plate appearance this spring Friday night, staking the Los Angeles Dodgers a 1-0 advantage against the Los Angeles Angels.

Ohtani batted twice more, popping out to short in the second inning and striking out swinging in the fifth. He left the game after the fifth inning, as planned.

Friday’s home run comes after Ohtani underwent arthroscopic surgery in November to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder suffered when diving into second base during the World Series. The 30-year-old, who won his third Most Valuable Player award to cap a dream first season in which the Dodgers captured their eighth World Series title, had been cautious in his return, hoping to ensure he’s healthy for Los Angeles’ season-opening series against the Chicago Cubs in Japan on March 18.

When Ohtani ascended the dugout steps at 6:08 p.m. local time, fans greeted him with a cheer and watched him take three practice swings before stepping into the batter’s box accompanied by a louder ovation. He started the at-bat from Kikuchi, his countryman who joined the Angels this winter, by staring at a 95 mph fastball for a strike. Ohtani took a curveball for a ball, swung through another for a strike, stared at one more low and didn’t bite on an outside fastball before taking a 94 mph fastball into the Dodgers’ bullpen in left field.

Ohtani, in his second season with the Dodgers, continues to rehabilitate his right arm after a second Tommy John surgery, which caused him to not pitch in 2024. He is targeting a return to the mound in May.

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Tigers’ Vierling (shoulder) to miss Opening Day

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Tigers' Vierling (shoulder) to miss Opening Day

Detroit Tigers outfielder Matt Vierling is nursing a strained right rotator cuff and will not be ready by Opening Day, manager A.J. Hinch said Friday.

The team announced that Vierling, 28, will complete a period of rest before being reevaluated for baseball activities.

Vierling batted .257 with career highs in homers (16), doubles (28), RBIs (57) and runs (80) in 144 games with the Tigers in 2024.

He is a career .259 hitter with 34 homers and 139 RBIs in 429 games with the Philadelphia Phillies (2021-22) and Tigers.

Detroit opens the season with a three-game road series against the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers from March 27 to March 29.

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Phillies’ Harper back in lineup 2 days after HBP

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Phillies' Harper back in lineup 2 days after HBP

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Bryce Harper returned to the Philadelphia Phillies‘ lineup Friday, two days after getting hit on the arm by a pitch.

Harper hit second and went 2-for-3 with a strikeout while playing in his usual spot at first base against the Boston Red Sox in a 7-5 victory.

Harper had a bruise on his right arm after getting hit by a 92 mph pitch from Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Richard Lovelady. Manager Rob Thomson said that Harper had a scheduled day off Thursday and that the team was “not really overconcerned at all.”

Thomson told reporters the team’s initial diagnosis was a bruised right triceps.

The two-time National League MVP had entered play Friday still looking for his first hit of the spring. Harper was 0-for-2 with a walk in his three plate appearances in Grapefruit League play before Friday.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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