The man at the center of last year’s Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal has now been sentenced to prison. Matthew Bowyer, a 50-year-old bookmaker from Southern California, was given one year and one day behind bars. He admitted in court that he broke the law and pleaded guilty to running an unlawful gambling business, money laundering, and filing a false tax return.
Along with prison time, the court also ordered Bowyer to pay more than $1.6 million in restitution. He will also have to give up more than $257,000 in cash and nearly $15,000 in casino chips that were seized when authorities raided his operation in 2023.
Speaking after the hearing, Bowyer did not try to hide his responsibility. He told reporters that if someone commits a crime, they have to face the punishment that comes with it. He explained that he wanted to send a clear message to others that illegal activities may look tempting, but eventually they catch up with you. His family attended the hearing and listened as he accepted the consequences for his actions.
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How the Operation Unraveled
The gambling scheme gained national attention because of its shocking ties to baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani. Investigators discovered that Bowyer was the bookmaker who received millions of dollars stolen from Ohtani’s bank account. The theft was carried out by Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, who placed an extraordinary 19,000 bets with Bowyer between December 2021 and January 2024.
The betting spree caused enormous losses — over $40 million in total. To pay off the debt, Mizuhara secretly transferred money from Ohtani’s account. At one point, he was sending as much as $500,000 every week to Bowyer. He was able to do this by changing the contact details linked to the bank account, giving him full control.
The situation escalated further when Bowyer began pressuring Mizuhara. Reports show he even sent a message saying he was watching Ohtani and threatening to expose what was happening. This raised serious concerns for investigators and brought even more attention to the scandal.
Eventually, the stolen funds were uncovered during the federal probe into Bowyer’s gambling ring. Authorities noticed large wire transfers coming directly from Ohtani’s account, which could not be ignored. Mizuhara was later convicted of bank fraud and tax fraud and sentenced to nearly five years in prison.
Wide-Reaching Operation Across States
The case has revealed just how large Bowyer’s gambling business really was. This was not a small side hustle; it was a full-scale operation spread across Los Angeles, Orange County, and Las Vegas. He relied on a network of agents and sub-agents to attract gamblers, some of whom were even tied to casino operations.
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Authorities also discovered that Bowyer used online systems to track bets, including Costa Rica-based websites and a call center. These tools allowed him to keep records, handle thousands of wagers, and move large amounts of money without drawing immediate attention.
Even though Bowyer earned large sums, much of it never stayed in his hands. Investigators say he laundered money by gambling it again at legitimate Las Vegas casinos. One casino alone reported he lost nearly $8 million through play.
The scandal briefly raised questions about whether Shohei Ohtani himself had been involved. However, both federal investigators and league officials made it clear that Ohtani was an innocent victim. Everyone involved, including Bowyer, confirmed that the athlete did not place bets and did not know about the theft until it was exposed.
It was also alleged that former Angels player David Fletcher had placed bets with Bowyer, though he was not a central figure in the case.
The sentencing of Bowyer closes one of the most dramatic chapters in recent sports history. What began as hidden bets and secret payments turned into a story that shook the sports world, brought down an interpreter, and exposed a vast illegal gambling network.