The unlawful bookie who took bets from Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter was sentenced to only over a 12 months in jail on Friday.
Mathew Bowyer was given a jail sentence of 12 months and at some point after pleading responsible in August 2024 to operating an unlawful playing enterprise, cash laundering, and submitting a false tax return.
U.S. District Choose John W. Holcomb additionally ordered Bowyer, 50, to attend playing habit counseling.
Holcomb mentioned that Bowyer’s tax return crime “is critical and must be taken under consideration” and added that “justice calls for there be some custody time.”
Previous to Bowyer’s sentencing, prosecutors mentioned in a courtroom submitting that they went with a lighter sentence for Bowyer due to his help with the conviction of Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s former interpreter, together with one other bookie.
Bowyer’s legal professional, Diane Bass, initially requested Choose Holcomb to present him home arrest, citing his playing habit restoration and that he didn’t know Mizuhara was taking from Ohtani.
“He didn’t assume he was benefiting from anybody,” Bass mentioned. “We didn’t understand it was going to be a high-profile case… then impulsively there may be this large media curiosity.”
Nonetheless, assistant U.S. Lawyer Kristen A. Williams identified Bowyer’s interactions with the media, the place he talked about Mizuhara, saying that his case was not “merely about an addict who acquired into bother.”
“He’s going out and speaking to information media, speaking about Mr. Mizuhara, the enterprise he was in, there’s a certain quantity of notoriety that he’s having fun with,” Williams mentioned in courtroom.
In line with courtroom filings, Bowyer had over 700 purchasers and first met Mizuhara again in 2021 in San Diego.
Between December 2021 and January 2024, Mizuhara positioned no less than 19,000 bets, dropping virtually $41 million and stole practically $17 million from Ohtani to repay money owed.
In an interview with ESPN, Bowyer mentioned that it took him only a month to understand that Mizuhara was an issue gambler, citing how usually and the sorts of bets he was putting.
“He positively was betting all evening lengthy, on a regular basis,” Bowyer informed the outlet. “I’ve by no means seen something prefer it. $100,000 on a draw, Ukraine vs. Turkey. $100,000 on Saudi Arabia.”
Mizuhara is serving a 57-month sentence after pleading responsible earlier this 12 months.
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