Mariko Ishihara acknowledges stalking convictions

On Saturday, actress Mariko Ishihara officially acknowledged that she has been convicted twice of stalking while in the United States.

In 1995, Ishihara moved to the U.S. after leaving show business. She became acquainted with a musician there, to whom she began sending letters. In 1997, a Florida courthouse found her guilty of stalking, and she was sentenced to a fine and 18 months of probation.

In 2003, she ran into the musician again in Las Vegas. She was introduced to his friend and bandmate, whom she began pursuing instead. In May of that year, a Las Vegas court again convicted her of stalking, and she was sentenced to 125 days in a prison near Los Angeles.

Ishihara issued a fax stating that the unfortunate incidents were the results of misunderstandings.

Source:
Nikkan Sports