Bookie Pleads Guilty in Ex-Ohtani Interpreter Gambling Case

An Orange County man who reportedly ran an underground gambling ring in Southern California has pleaded guilty to running an illegal gambling business.

Matthew Bowyer, 49, is accused of running an illegal betting operation that reportedly took wagers from over 700 individuals, including former Los Angeles Dodgers employee and Shohei Ohtani interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. Bowyer also pleaded guilty to money laundering and subscribing to a false tax return.

Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 7.

“I was running an illegal gambling operation, laundering money through other people’s bank accounts,” Bowyer told the judge according to the Associated Press.

Bowyer could face a maximum prison sentence of 18 years. However, based on federal sentencing guidelines, Bowyer’s attorney Diane Bass believes her client’s expected sentencing could range between 30 to 37 months. Notably, sports gambling remains illegal in California, despite the vast majority of U.S. States moving to legalize it over the past decade.

“Mr. Bowyer is very relieved to finally be able to accept responsibility for his conduct,” Bass told reporters after the hearing. “He is looking forward to receiving his sentence so that he can put this chapter behind him and he and his family can get on with their lives.”

Mizuhara’s sentencing also to come

As Bowyer prepares for the next steps in his criminal trial, Mizuhara, 39, is set to face sentencing in October. Once a close confidant of MLB’s brightest superstar, Mizuhara reportedly made almost 20,000 wagers between Sept. 2021 and Jan. 2024 before his activities were uncovered by Ohtani and authorities. 

Mizuhara reportedly stole upwards of $17 million directly from Ohtani. Though Bowyer was not officially named in Mizuhara’s case, Bass confirmed that he was repeatedly identified as “Bookmaker 1” in the criminal complaints. The pair regularly corresponded, with Bowyer threatening Mizuhara to make payments.

According to filings, the last correspondence between the pair came on Mar. 20 following reports from ESPN and the L.A. Times, culminating with Mizuhara’s now infamous text, “It’s all over for me.”

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