Sentencing for Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter and confidant who pleaded guilty last year to defrauding Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani of nearly $17 million, has been delayed for a third time. Mizuhara is now scheduled to appear for sentencing on Feb. 6 in Orange County, Calif.
On Tuesday, his lawyers asked the court for the delay so a forensic psychologist could complete a report about Mizhuara’s gambling. The evaluation process was supposed to have wrapped in December, but the lawyers wrote there were “unexpected delays.”
“Mr. Mizuhara’s evaluation was completed as planned, but the forensic psychologist has not yet been able to complete the report itself, due to the press of other matters, including family health issues over the holidays,” Mizuhara’s lawyers wrote to the court.
Mizuhara, 40, pleaded guilty to bank fraud and falsifying a tax return in June. He was fired by the Dodgers in March, following reports that he’d stolen millions from Ohtani to pay off gambling debts to an illegal bookmaker. He’s facing a maximum of 33 years in federal prison.
He was initially scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 25. His sentencing was pushed to Dec. 20, then Jan. 24 and now Mizuhara’s lawyers have successfully pushed it back another two weeks. The delays were all tied to preparation for sentencing, including the psychologist’s report, according to Mizuhara’s request to the court. Freedman wrote that once the psychologist’s report is in, he will also need to look over the findings.
“I will need sufficient time to review it with Mr. Mizuhara and incorporate it into his sentencing submission,” Freedman wrote. “I believe Mr. Mizuhara would be prejudiced by not being able to submit the forensic psychologist’s report to the Court before sentencing and not being able to review it and incorporate it into his sentencing submission to the court.”
Freedman did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Athletic. It is unclear if he intends to utilize the report to argue for a lighter sentence.
A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment. Freedman’s filing said he conferred with a prosecutor in the case when asking for the extension, and the prosecutor took “no position” on the delay.
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