California Bookie Tied to Ohtani Interpreter to Serve 30 to 37 Months

A Southern California bookmaker whose customers included the interpreter for MLB super star Shohei Ohtani has pleaded guilty to running an illegal gambling business and is expected to serve anywhere from between 30 and 37 months behind bars.

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.

“I was running an illegal gambling operation, laundering money through other people’s bank accounts,” Bowyer told the judge.

Bowyer reportedly ran his bookie business out of both Southern California and Las Vegas. 

He is believed to have taken bets  from more than 700 bettors, including Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, who recently pleaded guilty to  tax fraud for stealing nearly $17 million from a bank account belonging to Ohtani.

Federal investigators say Mizuhara, who is scheduled to be sentenced in October, made about 19,000 wagers between September 2021 and January 2024. 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.

Investigators didn't find any evidence Mizuhara had wagered on baseball.

Diane Bass, Bowyer's attorney, said her client never had any contact with Ohtani. Based on the federal sentencing guidelines, she said she believes his expected sentencing range could be 30 to 37 months. Federal prosecutors said in court the maximum potential prison sentence for the offenses would be 18 years.

“Mr. Bowyer is very relieved to finally be able to accept responsibility for his conduct,” Bass told reporters outside the courthouse after the hearing. “He is looking forward to receiving his sentence so that he can put this chapter behind him and he and his family can get on with their lives.”