Mathew Bowyer is a high roller and the alleged bookmaker to whom the ex-interpreter of MLB superstar, Shohei Ohtani, lost millions. He has reportedly decided to plead guilty to several counts related to operating an illegal gambling business that contradicted the standards of top-rated sportsbooks.
Time to Pay the Piper
Mathew Bowyer, the bookie who won millions off Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, has reportedly accepted a plea agreement with the government and will plead guilty to the following three charges:
- Operating an illegal gambling business.
- Transactional money laundering.
- Filing a false tax return.
He will also forfeit over $250,000 and has agreed to cooperate with authorities in their investigation.
According to a post on X by LA Times investigative reporter, Nathan Fenno, details concerning Bowyer’s plea deal state: “[He] recruited casino hosts to be agents of the Bowyer Gambling Business” and sometimes “operated Bowyer Gambling Business while gambling in Casino A.”
Bowyer’s attorney, Diane Bass, wrote, “Mr. Bowyer is looking forward to accepting responsibility for his actions.” The judge will mete out Bowyer’s punishment on August 9th but the investigation is continuing. Some of the more intriguing elements have to do with Bowyer’s prolific gambling habits at Resorts World Las Vegas.
In October 2023, an X poster named Robin Hood 702 posted the following with a picture of Mathew Bowyer below it. “Matthew Bowyer Illegal Bookie & Gambler. Why was MB allowed to gamble at Resorts World since it opened? Everyone at RW knew what he did. It’s amazing! There are 3 other guys STILL playing at RWLV that are part of Bowyer’s illegal bookie ring. Where’s COMPLIANCE!”
Mizuhara Waiting for Sentencing
Ippei Mizuhara sent a reported $16 million worth of wire transfers over a 27-month period ending in January 2024 from a bank account that was initially labeled as “Victim A”. That designation has been determined to presumably be Shohei Ohtani and the money allegedly went to Mathew Bowyer’s illegal sports betting ring based in California.
According to Mizuhara, he met Bowyer at a private San Diego poker game in 2021, and it is reported that Bowyer subsequently lost $7.9 million gambling at Resorts World Las Vegas over a 17-month period through October 2023, the same month that his Orange County home was raided by federal agents relative to his bookmaking operation. In that raid, several electronic devices, computers, and phones were seized. It has been reported that Bowyer and Mizuhara communicated primarily by text message.
Mizuhara’s former boss, LA Dodgers slugger, Shohei Ohtani, had no knowledge that his interpreter was using his checking account to fund his gambling losses. As part of the plea agreement, Mizuhara was asked to describe what he had done and wrote, “I worked for victim A (Ohtani) and had access to his bank account and had fallen into major gambling debt. I went ahead and wired money… with his bank account.”
Mizuhara is awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for October 25th in which he faces a maximum of 33 years in prison and a $1.25 million fine for the bank and tax fraud charges. The sentence will likely be far shorter than the maximum penalty but Mizuhara could be deported once he is released.
