Matthew Bowyer, a Southern California bookmaker, has agreed to plead guilty to “running an illegal gambling business,” according to a recent Associated Press report.
A recent announcement from US authorities revealed that Bowyer accepted thousands of wagers from nearly 700 clients, including Ippei Mizuhara, an ex-interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani.
Currently, sports betting is illegal in the state of California.
Bowyer has agreed to plead guilty to money laundering, subscribing to false tax return and to running an illegal gambling business, according to a recent statement submitted by the US Attorney’s office in Los Angeles.
The statement went on to note that Bowyer is scheduled to enter his plea in court August 9.
Bowyer’s attorney, Diane Bass, told the AP that her client is ready to appear in court.
She went on to comment, “Mr. Bowyer is looking forward to accepting responsibility for his actions.”
Mizuhara recently pleaded guilty to both bank and tax fraud. He first opened a bank account for Ohtani in 2018. According to the plea agreement, he began stealing money from the account soon after.
He went on to place a series of bets, which he deposited into his own bank account. His winnings totaled more than $142m, while losing wagers reached $183m. None of the bets were placed on baseball.
According to the terms of the plea agreement, Mizuhara will have to pay back both Ohtani and the IRS. Ohtani would receive $17m, while the IRS would receive $1m. These payments could be changed during sentencing, the local report said.
