A bookmaker in Southern California has pleaded guilty to running an illegal gambling business, money laundering, and subscribing to a false tax return. Mathew Bowyer, 49, admitted to operating an illegal gambling operation and laundering money through other people's bank accounts. He is set to be sentenced on February 7.
Bowyer ran the illegal gambling business for at least five years in Southern California and Las Vegas, taking wagers from over 700 bettors, including Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani. Mizuhara, who pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud, stole nearly $17 million from Ohtani's bank account. He made approximately 19,000 wagers between September 2021 and January 2024, resulting in a net loss of nearly $41 million.
Despite Mizuhara's substantial losses, investigators did not find any evidence of him wagering on baseball. There is also no indication that Ohtani was involved in or aware of Mizuhara's gambling activities. Ohtani cooperated with investigators and is considered a victim in this case.
Bowyer's clientele included a professional baseball player for a Southern California club and a former minor league player, although their identities were not disclosed in court filings.
This incident is part of a series of sports betting scandals this year, including the banning of San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano for life by Major League Baseball. Marcano and four other players were suspended for betting on baseball legally, marking the first time an active player has been banned for life due to gambling in a century.
MLB's gambling policy prohibits players and team employees from wagering on baseball, even through legal means. The league also prohibits betting on other sports with illegal or offshore bookmakers, with penalties determined at the discretion of the commissioner's office.
