The bookmaker who accepted wagers from the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani admitted Friday to the charges of operating an unlawful gambling business, money laundering, and subscribing to a false tax return.
Mathew Bowyer, 49, accepted a plea agreement at a federal courthouse in Santa Ana, California. Bowyer faces between 30 and 37 months in prison, his attorney told reporters outside the courthouse Friday.
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“Mr. Bowyer is very relieved to finally be able to accept responsibility for his conduct,” attorney Diane 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.”
The news effectively ties up one of the few remaining loose ends in a gambling scandal that threatened to engulf the sport and its most recognizable global star.
Ohtani maintained his innocence in the matter throughout the ordeal, and Bass reiterated that Bowyer never made direct contact with Ohtani.
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Ippei Mizuhara, 39, pleaded guilty in June to one count of bank fraud and one count of filing a false income tax return. He has not yet been sentenced, but could face up to 30 years in prison.
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In June, MLB cleared Ohtani, the two-time American League Most Valuable Player, of any wrongdoing. Wagering on baseball, or placing wagers with an illegal bookmaker, is a violation of MLB’s anti-gambling rules.
Mizuhara was charged with stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani, most of which was transferred directly from Ohtani’s bank account to an account registered to Bowyer and his associates. He was fired by the Dodgers while the team was playing its season-opening series in South Korea.
A federal investigation revealed that Mizuhara began placing sports bets with Bowyer in Sept. 2021, then transferred money from Ohtani’s personal account to cover the debts.
Atlanta Braves minor leaguer David Fletcher, who was Ohtani’s teammate on the Los Angeles Angels from 2018-23, has also been alleged of placing bets with Bowyer — whom he reportedly introduced to Mizuhara.
In June, MLB placed San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano on its permanently ineligible list as a result of bets he placed on baseball games while he was on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ injured list.
More news: San Diego Padres Utility Player Declared Permanently Ineligible by MLB for Betting on Baseball
