Ippei Mizuhara banned from Uber Eats after disgraced former Shohei Ohtani interpreter spotted making deliveries in LA

Just days after Ippei Mizuhara pled guilty on a charge of bank fraud involving his former employer and friend, Shohei Ohtani, the scandalized interpreter was cut off from his most recent source of income.

On June 7, Mizuhara was spotted fulfilling Uber Eats delivery orders in the Los Angeles area. Mere hours after the New York Post published these images, the food delivery platform banned the 39-year-old from working with them, citing his ongoing legal case as grounds for executing the ban.

"Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter Ippei Mizuhara delivering Uber Eats after fraud scandal" - New York Post

The high-profile scandal implicating Mizuhara began in late March, when Ohtani and the Dodgers were in South Korea to kick off their 2024 season against the San Diego Padres. It was then reported that Mizuhara had transferred over $4 million from Ohtani's account to pay off a California bookmaker named Matthew Bowyer.

Although the affair originally looked as though Ohtani was voluntarily helping out his longtime friends, the superstar's lawyer's soon alleged "massive fraud." It was later uncovered that Ippei Mizuhara stole over $16 million from Shohei Ohtani to fulfill gambling commitments.

"Shohei Ohtani’s former translator Ippei Mizuhara claimed he graduated from UC Riverside in 2007 in the Angels media guide, but the school shows no record of that happening, per @SamBlum3" - Foul Territory

From there, Mizuhara's life began to come apart. Subsequent reports unveiled that Mizuhara had never actually attended UC Riverside, where he claimed to have graduated. On April 11, Mizuhara was formally charged, and pled guilty to one charge of bank fraud and one charge of filing a false tax return on June 4.

Mizuhara first met Ohtani while the latter was playing for NPB's Hokkaido-Nippon Ham Fighters, and the two grew close quickly. When Ohtani decided to come to MLB in 2017, he selected Mizuhara to act as his interpreter in the Los Angeles Angels' clubhouse.

Ippei Mizuhara's spectacular fall from grace

Less than three months ago, Mizuhara was on top of the world. His close friend and employer had just signed a $700 million deal, and was the most widely talked-about person in the sports world. Now, the disgraced Mizuhara cannot even work in anonymity. As Uber spokesperson Gabriela Condarco-Quesada told NBC Los Angeles:

"Mizuhara has been an Uber Eats courier for a few years. Given these recent charges, he no longer has access to the platform"

Ohtani is off to another incredible season, but due to his own choices, Mizuhara will have no part to play in it.