OC man to plead guilty to federal charges alleging illegal sports betting

An Orange County man allegedly linked to wire transfers made by Dodger star Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter has agreed to plead guilty to federal criminal charges for running an illegal gambling business, prosecutors said today.   

Mathew Bowyer, 49, of San Juan Capistrano, is expected to plead guilty to charges of operating an unlawful gambling business, money laundering and subscribing to a false tax return, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.   

Bowyer is scheduled to enter his plea on Aug. 9 in Santa Ana federal court.   

Federal prosecutors contend Bowyer took in unlawful bets from Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani's former interpreter who pleaded guilty in June to charges of stealing nearly $17 million from the Dodger slugger's bank account to pay off illegal gambling debts, and faces prison time.

Bowyer also acted as a bookie for what court papers describe only as "a professional baseball player for a Southern California-based baseball club'' as well as a former minor league player, documents allege.

According to his plea deal, Bowyer operated an unlicensed and illegal bookmaking business that focused on sports betting and violated California law. Bowyer's gambling business remained in operation for at least five years until last October and at times had more than 700 bettors, court documents say.

The business operated out of various locations in Los Angeles and Orange counties as well as in Las Vegas, prosecutors said.   

Court papers allege Bowyer hired casino hosts and others who worked for his illegal gambling business and were paid a portion of the losses bettors incurred and paid. His unlawful business used several Costa Rica-based websites and a call center so agents and customers could place and track bets. At times, Bowyer operated his illegal business while gambling at a casino, prosecutors said.

From September 2021 to last January, prosecutors say, Mizuhara placed at least 19,000 bets with Bowyer's illegal gambling business, winning a total of at least $142 million. His losses totaled at least $182 million, leaving Mizuhara owing roughly $40 million, according to the government.

Bowyer also admitted in his plea agreement to falsely reporting his taxable income to the IRS on his 2022 tax return. Bowyer reported $607,897 in total income on the return, but his unreported income for that year was over $4 million, he admitted.

As a result of the false information, Bowyer owes additional taxes of $1.6 million, not including interest and penalties, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Upon pleading guilty, Bowyer will face up to 18 years in federal prison, prosecutors said, and will forfeit $257,923 in cash and $14,830 in casino chips seized by law enforcement. He also has agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors and investigators.

Mizuhara, 39, pleaded guilty to one federal count each of bank fraud and subscribing to a false tax return. His sentencing is set for Oct. 25.   

Ohtani was cleared of any wrongdoing or involvement in gambling activities, prosecutors said.

"I worked for (Ohtani) and I had access to his accounts,'' Mizuhara said during the hearing as he entered his plea in Santa Ana in June. "I fell into gambling debt and the only way I could think of was to access his money. I wired money for my gambling debt from his account."

When the criminal case against the ex-interpreter was announced, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said Mizuhara had an "insatiable appetite" for illegal sports betting, which landed him millions of dollars in debt to a bookmaker -- now known to be Bowyer -- and led him to transfer money out of Ohtani's bank account without the slugger's knowledge.