Former bookie embroiled in ex-Ohtani interpreter gambling scandal to plead guilty to running illegal sports betting business
CNN
The former bookmaker at the center of the gambling scandal involving Dodgers baseball star Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter Ippei Mizuhara has agreed to plead guilty to operating an illegal sports betting business, the Justice Department says.
The former bookmaker at the center of the gambling scandal involving Dodgers baseball star Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter Ippei Mizuhara has agreed to plead guilty to operating an illegal sports betting business, the Justice Department says. Matthew Bowyer, 49, is expected to plead guilty on August 9 to federal charges of operating an unlawful gambling business, money laundering and subscribing to a false tax return, according to a plea agreement filed in late June, the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California announced Thursday. In a statement to CNN, Bowyer’s attorney, Diane Bass, said he is “looking forward to accepting responsibility for his actions.” Bowyer faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison on the money laundering count, up to five years in federal prison for the unlawful gambling business count and up to three years in federal prison for the false tax return count, according to the plea agreement. In June, Ohtani said he had “closure” after his longtime interpreter Mizuhara pleaded guilty to fraud and tax charges for stealing almost $17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger to pay off gambling debts. Mizuhara faces up to 30 years in prison for bank fraud and up to three years for filing a false tax return. His sentencing is scheduled for October 25. Mizuhara was one of Bowyer’s clients, placing at least 19,000 bets with Bowyer’s illegal gambling business from September 2021 to January 2024, according to prosecutors. Bowyer would increase Mizuhara’s betting limits even as Mizuhara had total losing bets of at least $182,935,206, leaving the former interpreter owing about $40,678,436, the plea agreement states.
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