Bookie In Shoehei Ohtani Sports Betting Scandal To Plead Guilty
The bookie involved in the Shohei Ohtani sports betting scandal has agreed to plead guilty to three charges. Mathew Bowyer is accused of operating an unlawful gambling business, money laundering, and filing a false tax return. He now faces a maximum of ten years in federal prison.
What Shohei Ohtani Interpreter’s Bookie Faces Now
Investigators say Bowyer ran an illegal Los Angeles-based gambling business for at least five years until October 2023. The alleged bookmaker had more than 700 bettors at times. One of those bettors was Ippei Mizuhara, a former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. Mizuhara admitted to stealing more than $16 million from Ohtani’s bank account in order to wager. Investigators found text messages between Bowyer and Mizuhara.
Bowyer operated his business out of multiple locations in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. His customer list included active and former professional athletes. Investigations revealed that the illegal gambling business used Costa Rica-based websites so patrons could place and track wagers.
In his plea agreement, Bowyer admitted to ‘knowingly and willfully falsely reporting his taxable income on his 2022 tax return. Bowyer reported $607,897 in total income that year but had $4,030,938 in unreported income. As a result, a $1,613,280 tax bill is owed to the IRS.
Charges Against Mathew Bowyer
- Money Laundering – Maximum 10 Years
- Unlawful Gambling Business – Maximum 5 Years
- Reporting Falsified Tax Return – Maximum 3 Years
Bowyer will enter his guilty plea on Aug. 9. The plea agreement also requires Bowyer to forfeit $257,923 in cash and $14,830 in casino chips seized by law enforcement.
Matthew Bowyer Latest In String Of Illegal Sports Betting Stories
The Bowyer case isn’t the only recent illegal sports betting situation that reached federal courts. Bert Neff earned an eight-month prison sentence just this week for his involvement in the Alabama Baseball sports betting case. Neff pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice for destroying his cellphone and attempting to coach witnesses during the investigation.
Ohtani’s translator, Ippei Mizuhara, pleaded guilty in May for his role in the scandal. His sentencing hearing is on Oct. 25.
“The extent of this defendant’s deception and theft is massive,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “He took advantage of his position of trust to take advantage of Mr. Ohtani and fuel a dangerous gambling habit. My office is committed to vindicating victims throughout our community and ensuring that wrongdoers face justice.”
Ohtani faced no punishment at all for the sports betting scandal despite his name dominating the headlines. Investigations found the MLB star was a victim in the situation.
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