Ippei Mizuhara, the interpreter and manager for Ohtani Shohei of the LA Dodgers, known as the Billion-dollar man, recently garnered attention after photos surfaced showing him working as a delivery driver. Mizuhara has previously been indicted on charges of illegally gambling with Ohtani’s money.
In March, before the Major League Baseball (MLB) Seoul Series game, Ohtani visited Korea. He announced his trip on Instagram.
At the time, Ohtani’s wife, Tanaka Mamiko, was also spotted arriving at Incheon Airport, also drew significant attention. However, Ohtani’s visit to Korea left a lasting scar due to Mizuhara’s illegal gambling incident.
Ohtani and Mizuhara began their MLB journey with the LA Angels in the 2018 season, with Mizuhara acting as Ohtani’s mouth and ears. Their relationship dates back to their time with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and extended into the big leagues.
Mizuhara also rose to fame thanks to Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani solidified his superstar status by achieving the unanimous American League MVP after setting many Major League records, including his dual-role performance in the 2021 season. Mizuhara also received attention.
Mizuhara was always by Ohtani’s side, even when Ohtani signed a significant free agent contract, and thus, received a lot of attention. At the time, Ohtani agreed to a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Through this process, Mizuhara, who served as his interpreter, seemed to have an opportunity to expand his influence. However, he fell into illegal sports gambling and caused significant damage to Ohtani.
In March, the Orange County investigative authorities in the U.S. uncovered Mizuhara’s misdeeds when they found a statement of funds transferred in Ohtani’s name. Mizuhara was charged with using Ohtani’s money for dental treatments, buying baseball cards, and making false tax declarations. Furthermore, he took measures to prevent Ohtani from noticing the money being withdrawn from his account and even impersonated Ohtani to embezzle money for illegal gambling.
According to News1, Mizuhara was charged in March with bank and financial fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, and with making false tax declarations, which can result in up to three years in prison. He was indicted in April but released on bail.
After the Seoul Series ended, Ohtani terminated his contract with Mizuhara, cutting off all his income. Recently, Mizuhara was revealed to work as a food delivery driver, possibly due to financial difficulties.
The New York Post reported on Mizuhara’s current delivery for Uber Eats. The outlet stated, “Disgraced MLB translator Ippei Mizuhara has a new gig.” The report mentioned that Mizuhara admitted to financial and tax fraud, embezzling $17 million from Ohtani. The report also noted that Mizuhara was spotted delivering food through Uber Eats in Los Angeles. Mizuhara is scheduled for a sentencing hearing on October 26.
Since Mizuhara was released on bail in April, he is expected to continue delivering food until his sentencing hearing in October. So, how much income can Mizuhara earn from food delivery? According to U.S. media, Mizuhara has been paid between $300,000 and $500,000 annually, considerably higher than average.
Recently, the minimum wage for fast-food workers in Los Angeles, California, was raised to $20 per hour. Last June, New York City introduced a minimum wage for delivery riders like those working for Uber Eats.
Considering the different laws and hourly rates in each state in the U.S., Mizuhara’s income through Uber Eats, based on an hourly rate of $20 and working 40 hours per week, is estimated to be around $3,040 per month, excluding additional allowances and taxes.
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