SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani was sentenced Thursday to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly $17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account.

Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana to four years and nine months after pleading guilty last year.

He was ordered Thursday to pay $18 million in restitution, with nearly $17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the IRS. He was also sentenced to three years’ supervised release on top of the prison sentence and ordered to surrender to authorities by March 24.

“The magnitude of the theft — $17 million — in my view, is shockingly high,” U.S. District Judge John W. Holcomb said upon issuing the sentence.

Holcomb said most people don’t make that much money in their lifetime.

“I hope that Mr. Mizuhara will be able to repay that sum,” Holcomb said. “That remains to be seen.”

Mizuhara addressed the court and apologized to Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the government and his family.

“I am truly, deeply sorry for what I have done,” Mizuhara said. “I am prepared to be punished for it.”

Mizuhara has acknowledged using the money to cover his growing gambling bets and debts with an illegal bookmaker, in addition to $325,000 worth of baseball cards and his own dental bills.

His attorney declined to comment after the hearing.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph T. McNally told reporters outside court that Mizuhara took advantage of Ohtani’s vulnerability as a non-English speaker trying to navigate the world of celebrity baseball — a high-profile example of something that is all too common. He emphasized that Ohtani was a victim.

“Mr. Mizuhara lied, he cheated and he stole,” McNally said. “His behavior was shameless.”

Mizuhara’s attorney, Michael Freedman, had asked for a sentence of one and a half years. During the sentencing hearing, he asked that the judge consider his client’s gambling addiction was challenged by his connection to a bookie willing to credit him large sums of money because of who he worked for.

“He was exposed to a world in which he was given a unique and unlimited credit to run up these kinds of numbers,” Freedman said.

Federal prosecutor Jeff Mitchell said the amount stolen by Mizuhara amounted to about half of what Ohtani earned from the Los Angeles Angels when he pitched for them, and the damage went even further.

“The most significant harm to Mr. Ohtani is the reputational damage, which may never be fully repaired,” Mitchell said.

The case affected arguably the world’s most famous baseball player and stoked an international media frenzy. It stemmed from a broader probe into illegal sports bookmaking organizations in Southern California and the laundering of proceeds through casinos in Las Vegas.

Mizuhara accessed Ohtani’s account beginning in 2021 and changed its security protocols so he could impersonate him to authorize wire transfers. By 2024, Mizuhara had used the money to buy about $325,000 worth of baseball cards at online resellers and had bet tens of millions of dollars that weren’t his to wager on international soccer, the NBA, the NFL and college football. Prosecutors said Mizuhara never bet on baseball.

Mizuhara was born in Japan and moved to California with his parents when he was 6. He struggled to learn English but eventually did, and he returned to Japan in 2013 to become an interpreter for a Japanese baseball team and later for Ohtani, according to court filings.

The two formed a tight-knit bond, and Mizuhara moved with Ohtani in 2018 to the U.S., where he took on numerous errands for the player such as grocery shopping, Mizuhara’s attorney wrote.

Inside baseball, Mizuhara stood by Ohtani’s side for many of the athlete’s career highlights, from serving as his catcher during the Home Run Derby at the 2021 All-Star Game, to being there for his two American League MVP wins and his record-shattering $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Off the field, Mizuhara was Ohtani’s friend and confidant. He famously resigned from the Los Angeles Angels during the 2021 MLB lockout so he could keep speaking to Ohtani, and he was rehired after a deal was struck.

Last year, Ohtani and the Dodgers won the World Series, and the baseball star won his third Most Valuable Player award.

ANTRIM TOWNSHIP, Pa. (AP) — The heist of 100,000 eggs from the back of a trailer in Pennsylvania has become a whodunit that police have yet to crack.

Four days after the theft that law enforcement say could be tied to the sky-high cost of eggs, no leads have come in, Trooper First Class Megan Frazer, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Police, said Wednesday.

“We’re relying on leads from people from the community. So we’re hoping that somebody knows something, and they’ll call us and give us some tips,” she said.

Police are also following up with any possible witnesses and looking into surveillance footage that could help them identify the perpetrator as they race to solve the mystery.

“In my career, I’ve never heard of a hundred thousand eggs being stolen. This is definitely unique,” said Frazer, who has a dozen years on the job.

Bird flu is forcing farmers to slaughter millions of chickens a month, pushing U.S. egg prices to more than double their cost in the summer of 2023. And it appears there may be no relief in sight with Easter approaching.

The average price per dozen eggs nationwide hit $4.15 in December. That is not quite as high as the $4.82 record set two years ago, but the Agriculture Department predicts egg prices are going to soar another 20% this year.

The 100,000 eggs were snatched from the back of Pete & Gerry’s Organics’ distribution trailer on Saturday about 8:40 p.m. in Antrim Township, according to police.

They are worth about $40,000, which means this crime is a felony, Frazer said.

Pete & Gerry’s Organics LLC said in a statement that the company is working with law enforcement to investigate the theft.

“We take this matter seriously and are committed to resolving it as quickly as possible,” the statement said.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Waffle House restaurant chain is putting a 50 cent per egg surcharge in place because of the biggest bird flu outbreak in a decade.

The 24-7 restaurant said that the resulting egg shortage has led to a dramatic increase in its costs.

Bird flu is forcing farmers to slaughter millions of chickens a month, pushing U.S. egg prices to more than double their cost in the summer of 2023. And it appears there may be no relief in sight with Easter approaching.

The average price per dozen eggs nationwide hit $4.15 in December. That is not quite as high as the $4.82 record set two years ago, but the Agriculture Department predicts egg prices are going to soar another 20% this year.

The Waffle House, a reliable source of a cheap breakfast, said that its egg surcharge became effective this week and that it applies to all of its menus. The restaurant’s two-egg breakfast, which comes with toast and a side, was listed at $7.75 on Tuesday.

“While we hope these price fluctuations will be short-lived we cannot predict how long this shortage will last,” the company said.

The company continues to monitor egg prices and said that it will adjust or remove the surcharge as market conditions allow.

Last month, the first U.S. human fatality linked bird flu was reported in Louisiana. There have been 67 confirmed bird flu infections of humans in the U.S. since 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The H5N1 bird flu has been spreading widely among wild birds, poultry, cows and other animals. Its growing presence in the environment increases the chances that people will be exposed, and potentially catch it, officials have said, though it remains rare.

Health officials urge anyone who has contact with sick or dead birds to take precautions, including respiratory and eye protection and gloves when handling poultry.

Waffle House, based in Georgia, has more than 1,900 locations in 25 states.

Pete & Gerry’s Organics also faced a difficult situation with its eggs in Antrim Township, Pennsylvania, when 100,000 of them were stolen from the back of its distribution trailer Saturday night, according to Pennsylvania State Police. Law enforcement are investigating the theft of roughly $40,000 worth of eggs.