Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter of Shohei Ohtani, was officially sentenced in court on Thursday for stealing millions of dollars from the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar to pay off his illegal gambling debt.

Mizuhara was sentenced to 57 months in prison, which is exactly what federal prosecutors asked for.

Federal prosecutors sought a 57-month prison sentence for Mizuhara, and for him to repay the $16.9 million he stole from Ohtani. Mizuhara will have to do just that.

Despite Mizuhara’s attempt to lessen the sentence, he has officially been charged with 57 months.

Mizuhara released a letter two weeks ago in which he revealed why he stole the money from Ohtani, how he got into gambling, and why he felt he deserved to be sentenced to a less severe punishment.

He reiterated those points on Thursday.

“As I noted in my letter I want to say I’m truly sorry to Mr. Ohtani for what I have done,” Mizuhara said Thursday in court. This mistake will impact me for the rest of my life and I am prepared to accept the consequences.”

He added: “I beg your mercy.”

Mizuhara’s defense attorney asked for an 18-month sentence. He asked for leniency due to Mizuhara reportedly having a gambling addicted since he was a teenager and the fact that he expressed deep remorse and accountability for his actions.

A recent released recording appeared to show Mizuhara impersonating Ohtani while speaking to a bank. When asked about Mizuhara impersonating Ohtani, his lawyer said, “we don’t dispute that.”

The federal prosecutors talked about the damage Mizuhara’s actions and comments did to Ohtani’s reputation. They also said there was no evidence about a longstanding gambling addiction for Mizuhara, despite the fact that he clearly had one over the last few years.

In the end, Mizuhara was sentenced to 57 months in prison, concluding an 11-month-long saga that began when the Dodgers were in Korea to open the 2024 season.