California bookie pleads guilty to running illegal gambling business used by ex-Ohtani interpreter
Associated Press
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California bookmaker who took thousands of sports bets from the former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani has pleaded guilty to running an illegal gambling business. Mathew Bowyer entered the plea in federal court in Santa Ana on Friday. He also pleaded guilty to money laundering and subscribing to a false tax return. He’s due to be sentenced Feb. 7. Federal prosecutors contend that Bowyer ran an illegal gambling business for at least five years in Southern California and Las Vegas, and that he took wagers from more than 700 bettors, including Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.
