Californian Bookie to Plead Guilty in the Recent Baseball Scandal

The Southern Californian bookie who took huge wagers from Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, is expected to plead guilty to running illegal gambling.

Bowyer Took Millions from Ippei Mizuhara

Mathew Bowyer, an influential bookmaker from South California, was incriminated in the recent Mizuhara scandal. According to the authorities, the former man has decided to come clean and will plead guilty to allegations of running and illegal gambling business.

Bowyer’s unlicensed gaming business has been running for over five years, according to the authorities. During that time, the man took multiple bets from over 700 players in Southern California and Las Vegas.

Among his clients was Ippei Mizuhara, who used to serve as Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter and confidant. Mizuhara was accused of stealing millions from the baseball star and channeling them into Bowyer’s operations, prompting one of the hugest scandals in recent baseball history.

According to US authorities, Bowyer will submit his guilty plea on August 9, admitting to charges of running an illegal gambling business, involvement in money laundering and subscribing to a false tax return.

Mizuhara Stole Millions from Ohtani

For context, Ippei Mizuhara, who was de facto Shohei Ohtani’s manager, stole millions of dollars from the athlete to cover his huge gambling debts. As someone who had the complete trust of the Dodgers’ player, Mizuhara was able to access the athlete’s bank account and channel huge sums toward Bowyer’s operations.

Believed to have placed over 19,000 wagers, Mizuhara has spent almost $17 million of Ohtani’s money, betraying his trust. The latter man was very disappointed to lose a friend in such a way but has since found a new interpreter, his English skills have improved and the player is now much closer to the rest of his team, according to the Dodgers manager, Dave Roberts.

Ohtani hopes that he has now closed this chapter of his life and plans to keep moving forward.

As for Mizuhara, the man pled guilty to the charges and now risks over three decades in prison. His sentencing has been scheduled for October 25, 2024. Martin Estrada previously said that, since Mizuhara isn’t a citizen of the United States, his crime carried “significant immigration consequences.”

The Bowyer situation eventually suggested that David Fletcher, a former infielder for the Los Angeles Angels, might have been involved in the scandal.