SANTA ANA, Calif. — A Southern California bookmaker who took thousands of sports bets from the former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani pleaded guilty Friday to running an illegal gambling business. Mathew Bowyer, 49, entered the plea in federal court in Santa Ana. He also pleaded guilty to money laundering and subscribing to a false tax return. He’s due to be sentenced Feb. 7.
While Mizuhara’s winnings totaled over $142 million, which he deposited in his own bank account and not Ohtani’s, his losing bets were around $183 million — a net loss of nearly $41 million. Still, investigators didn’t find any evidence Mizuhara had wagered on baseball. Prosecutors said there also was no evidence that Ohtani was involved in or aware of Mizuhara’s gambling, and the player, who cooperated with investigators, is considered a victim.