A bookmaker in Southern California has pleaded guilty to running an illegal gambling business, money laundering, and subscribing to a false tax return. Mathew Bowyer, 49, admitted to operating an illegal gambling operation and laundering money through other people's bank accounts. He is set to be sentenced on February 7.
Bowyer ran the illegal gambling business for at least five years in Southern California and Las Vegas, taking wagers from over 700 bettors, including Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani. Mizuhara, who pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud, stole nearly $17 million from Ohtani's bank account. He made approximately 19,000 wagers between September 2021 and January 2024, resulting in a net loss of nearly $41 million.
