Bowyer Pleads Guilty to Illegal Gambling Charges

Mathew Bowyer, a 49-year-old bookmaker from San Juan Capistrano, has agreed to plead guilty to operating an illegal gambling business, money laundering, and filing a false tax return. Bowyer's illegal enterprise, which ran for at least five years and involved over 700 bettors, included Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, who stole nearly $17 million from Ohtani to fund his gambling addiction, placing around 19,000 bets with Bowyer. Bowyer is scheduled to enter his plea on August 9 and faces a maximum of 18 years in prison but may receive a reduced sentence due to his guilty plea. Despite the scandal, Ohtani has been cleared of any wrongdoing and continues to perform at an MVP level for the Dodgers. The case highlights the pervasive issue of illegal sports betting and its impact on high-profile individuals in the sports community.