Ippei Mizuhara’s Lawyer Releases Statement, Apologizes to Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers and MLB

Ippei Mizuhara’s lawyer, Michael Freedman, has released a statement following the charges of bank fraud against his client for stealing at least $16 million from Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.

Mizuhara was charged by the Department of Justice on Thursday, and surrendered to the feds and appeared in a Los Angeles court on Friday.

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Here’s the statement from Freedman:

“Today Mr. Mizuhara voluntarily surrendered, made his initial appearance, and was released on bond as agreed to with the government. He is continuing to cooperate with the legal process and is hopeful that he can reach an agreement with the government to resolve this case as quickly as possible so that he can take responsibility. He wishes to apologize to Mr. Ohtani, the Dodgers, Major League Baseball, and his family. As noted in court, he is also eager to seek treatment for his gambling. We have no further comment at this time, but Mr. Mizuhara will be providing further comment as the legal process proceeds.”

Ohtani had a statement of his own on Friday, making it clear he’s excited to focus on baseball.

Mizuhara has a scheduled arraignment for May 9. He’s not allowed to contact Ohtani in the meantime.

Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports