Mathew Bowyer, a resident of Southern California, found himself in hot water when authorities discovered that one of his gambling clients was the interpreter for baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani. The bookmaker, at the heart of a scandal involving Ohtani’s interpreter, has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges of running an illegal sports gambling operation and tax evasion.
Mathew Bowyer, 49, who resides in Orange County, is set to plead guilty next week and could potentially face more than a decade in prison. Prosecutors revealed that Bowyer’s sports betting operation generated over $4 million in unreported income in 2022. As part of his plea agreement, Bowyer will cooperate with authorities and relinquish $258,000 in cash and $14,800 in seized casino chips.
While sports betting is legal in some states, such as Nevada where Bowyer conducted business, it remains illegal in California. His unlicensed operation catered to more than 700 clients, including a professional baseball player from a Southern California team and a former minor-league player. However, one of his most notable clients was Ippei Mizuhara, the interpreter for Shohei Ohtani since the baseball star’s arrival in the United States in 2018.
Mizuhara made headlines when he was dismissed by the Dodgers in March amid accusations of embezzling from Ohtani. Initially, he claimed that Ohtani had agreed to cover his gambling losses, causing a brief stir at the beginning of the season. Nevertheless, Mizuhara later confessed to stealing millions from Ohtani and pleaded guilty to fraud charges amounting to nearly $17 million in June.
The scandal involving Bowyer, Mizuhara, and Ohtani has sent shockwaves through the baseball community, tarnishing the reputation of the interpreter and raising questions about the integrity of the sport. As the legal proceedings unfold, the repercussions of this illicit gambling operation continue to reverberate across Southern California. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.