Matthew Bowyer pleads guilty to running illegal gambling business
Interpreter in high-profile Ohtani case is scheduled for sentencing in February.
Southern California bookmaker Matthew Bowyer has entered a guilty plea in a federal Santa Ana court to charges of running an illegal gaming business, according to a recent Associated Press report.
US authorities revealed that Bowyer accepted thousands of wagers from nearly 700 clients, including Ippei Mizuhara, an ex-interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani. The prosecution stated that Bowyer “ran an illegal gambling business for at least five years in Southern California and Las Vegas.”
Currently, sports betting is illegal in the state of California. The 49-year-old bookmaker also admitted to subscribing to a false tax return and money laundering.
Bowyer stood before a federal judge and outlined the specifics of his illegal activity, the AP said.
He commented, “I was running an illegal gambling operation, laundering money through other people’s bank accounts.”
Bowyer will face sentencing on February 7 2025. Federal prosecutors declined to provide comment to the Associated Press after the hearing.
Bowyer’s plea follows another related guilty plea from Mizuhara, who 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.
Mizuhara 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.
Tags/Keywords
Players trust our reporting due to our commitment to unbiased and professional evaluations of the iGaming sector. We track hundreds of platforms and industry updates daily to ensure our news feed and leaderboards reflect the most recent market shifts. With nearly two decades of experience within iGaming, our team provides a wealth of expert knowledge. This long-standing expertise enables us to deliver thorough, reliable news and guidance to our readers.
Latest News
