An Orange County bookie whose gambling customers included Dodger star Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter was sentenced Friday to a year in federal prison and ordered to pay more than $1.6 million in restitution.
Mathew Bowyer, 50, of San Juan Capistrano, pleaded guilty last August to operating an unlawful gambling business, money laundering and subscribing to a false tax return.
Federal prosecutors said Bowyer took in unlawful bets from Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s former interpreter, who pleaded guilty last year to charges of stealing nearly $17 million from the Dodger slugger’s bank account to pay off illegal gambling debts. Mizuhara was sentenced earlier this year to 57 months in prison.
Bowyer also acted as a bookie for what court papers described only as “a professional baseball player for a Southern California-based baseball club” as well as a former minor league player, documents allege.
“(Bowyer’s) crimes were not a single indiscretion, but instead a multi-year operation that raked in millions of dollars for (Bowyer) and his associates to gamble and live an extravagant lifestyle, often through the exploitation of people (Bowyer) recognized were addicted and extending themselves beyond their means, money that was routed through multiple accounts and ultimately not reported to the government on (Bowyer’s) taxes,” according to a prosecution sentencing memorandum.
According to his plea deal, Bowyer operated an unlicensed and illegal bookmaking business that focused on sports betting and violated California law. Bowyer’s gambling business remained in operation for at least five years until October 2023 and at times had more than 700 bettors, court documents say.
The business operated out of various locations in Los Angeles and Orange counties as well as in Las Vegas, prosecutors said.
According to court papers, Bowyer hired casino hosts and others who worked for his illegal gambling business and were paid a portion of the losses bettors incurred and paid. His unlawful business used several Costa Rica-based websites and a call center so agents and customers could place and track bets. At times, Bowyer operated his illegal business while gambling at a casino, prosecutors said.
From September 2021 until January 2024, prosecutors say, Mizuhara placed at least 19,000 bets with Bowyer’s illegal gambling business, winning a total of at least $142 million. His losses totaled at least $182 million, leaving Mizuhara owing roughly $40 million, according to the government.
Bowyer also admitted in his plea agreement to falsely reporting his taxable income to the IRS on his 2022 tax return. Bowyer reported $607,897 in total income on the return, but his unreported income for that year was over $4 million, he admitted.
As a result of the false information, Bowyer owed additional taxes of $1.6 million, not including interest and penalties, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Ohtani was cleared of any wrongdoing or involvement in gambling activities, prosecutors said.