Los Angeles – Mathew Bowyer, a 50-year-old illegal bookmaker, has been sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, along with two years of supervised release. The sentence stems from his involvement in a betting ring involving the former interpreter of Shohei Ohtani, a Dodgers star. The decision was handed down by federal judge John W. Holcomb, who also ordered Bowyer to undergo gambling addiction therapy and surrender to authorities before October 10th. Prior to the sentence, Bowyer had already made a payment of 1.6 million dollars in restitution. Bowyer pleaded guilty in August 2024 to charges of operating an illegal gambling business, money laundering, and filing a false tax return. The judge emphasized the seriousness of the tax crime and the need to impose a prison sentence to send a clear message about the gravity of the case.
Cooperation with Justice
The prosecution had requested a sentence of less than 15 months, highlighting Bowyer’s collaboration in the investigations that led to the convictions of Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s former interpreter, and another Southern California bookmaker. Mizuhara was sentenced to nearly five years in prison after it was proven that he stole nearly $17 million from Ohtani to cover gambling debts. Bowyer, for his part, argued that he was unaware of the illicit origin of Mizuhara’s money and that he himself was in the process of recovering from a gambling addiction.“I apologize to Ohtani”
After the hearing, Bowyer offered a public apology to the Japanese superstar:The court record reveals that Bowyer operated a large-scale betting business for years with more than 700 clients. Mizuhara placed at least 19,000 bets between 2021 and 2024, accumulating losses of nearly $41 million. The scandal came to light in March 2024, following revelations about million-dollar transfers from Ohtani’s account. Currently, Mizuhara is serving a 57-month sentence in a low-security federal prison in Pennsylvania, while Bowyer is due to enter prison in October.If I saw Shohei Ohtani, I would tell him that I am sorry that his name has been tarnished by this case. He is an innocent man who is only dedicated to playing baseball at the highest level.
Mathew Bowyer
