Illegal bookie used by Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter gets sentenced

Mathew Bowyer, the illegal bookie who took bets from Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter, was sentenced to just over a year in prison on Friday. Bowyer, 50, received a prison term of 12 months and one day after pleading guilty in August 2024 to running an illegal gambling business, money laundering, and filing a false tax return.

U.S. District Judge John W. Holcomb also mandated that Bowyer attend gambling addiction counseling as part of his sentencing. Holcomb emphasized the significance of Bowyer’s tax return crime and noted that some custody time was necessary for justice to be served.

Before the sentencing, prosecutors highlighted Bowyer’s cooperation in the conviction of Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s former interpreter, and another bookie. This cooperation played a role in the decision to impose a lighter sentence on Bowyer.

Bowyer’s attorney, Diane Bass, initially requested house arrest for Bowyer, citing his ongoing recovery from gambling addiction and his lack of knowledge regarding Mizuhara’s actions involving Ohtani. Bass argued that Bowyer did not realize he was taking advantage of anyone and was unaware of the case’s high-profile nature until media interest surged.

However, assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Williams pointed out Bowyer’s interactions with the media, where he discussed Mizuhara’s involvement, indicating that the case was not solely about an addict in legal trouble.

Court documents revealed that Bowyer had over 700 clients and first met Mizuhara in San Diego in 2021. Mizuhara placed at least 19,000 bets between December 2021 and January 2024, losing nearly $41 million and embezzling almost $17 million from Ohtani to settle debts.

In an interview with ESPN, Bowyer mentioned that it took him only a month to realize Mizuhara’s compulsive gambling habits, citing the frequency and magnitude of his bets, such as $100,000 wagers on unconventional matches like Ukraine vs. Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

Mizuhara is currently serving a 57-month sentence after pleading guilty earlier this year for his involvement in the illegal gambling scheme. The sentencing of Bowyer marks another chapter in the legal repercussions surrounding the illicit activities that entangled Ohtani’s former interpreter and others in the gambling world.