Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman (5) celebrates after his two-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a spring training baseball game Thursday, March 2, 2023, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Mathew Bowyer, the bookie who took wagers involving millions of dollars stolen from Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, agreed to plead guilty to federal charges, prosecutors announced Thursday.
Prosecutors said Bowyer, from Orange County, Calif., operated a sprawling illegal gambling business for at least five years, taking wagers from more than 700 bettors. Only one of those clients caused Bowyer’s operation to be thrust into national headlines this past spring: Ohtani’s longtime interpreter and friend Ippei Mizuhara. Prosecutors said Mizuhara placed about 19,000 bets worth nearly $17 million, all of it stolen from Ohtani’s bank account without Ohtani’s knowledge.
Bowyer agreed to plead guilty to operating an unlawful gambling business, money laundering and subscribing to a false tax return. According to prosecutors, who said he is expected to plead guilty in federal court in Los Angeles on Aug. 9, he faces up to 10 years in prison on the money laundering count alone. Bowyer’s attorney, Diane Bass, said that her client “is looking forward to accepting responsibility for his actions.”
The news that Ohtani’s name was on records tied to illegal betting sparked one of the most dramatic sports betting scandals in decades, casting scrutiny on the potential involvement of baseball’s biggest global superstar, who had recently signed a $700 million deal with the Dodgers. But federal prosecutors declared Ohtani a victim, stating that their investigation found he knew nothing about the theft from his account or Mizuhara’s illegal wagering. Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank fraud in June.
Criminal charges against Bowyer have been widely anticipated since the news of the betting scandal involving Mizuhara broke during the opening series of the baseball season in late March. In the plea agreement filed in court Thursday, Bowyer pledged to “cooperate fully” with federal investigators and to forfeit nearly $258,000 in cash and nearly $14,830 in casino chips already seized during a raid on his house.
