Matthew Bowyer, a bookmaker for Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, mentioned he felt responsible for not stopping the interpreter from betting over his head and took motion from Pete Rose in an unique Put up interview.
That is the primary time Bowyer has spoken to the media.
Former Ohtani Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara is dealing with a Feb. 6 sentencing in a Southern California federal court docket. Prosecutors are looking for 57 months and three years of supervised launch and for him to pay again the roughly $17 million he allegedly stole from the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrity. Mizuhara is asking for an 18-month sentence.
The 49-year-old Bowyer himself faces an April 4 sentencing date. He pled responsible in August 2024 for illegally taking sports activities bets, cash laundering and submitting a false tax return. Coincidentally, that’s Bowyer’s birthday.
“It was very apparent he was stealing cash and never asking Ohtani for permission,” Bowyer advised The Put up explaining that Mizuhara guess via his sports activities betting website earlier than stopping round January 2024.
The interpreter allegedly would fake he was Ohtani when calling banks to get the star’s cash.
Mizuhara, for a stretch, wired Bowyer $500,000 each two weeks.
“He by no means acted as if the greenback quantities impacted him for one second. He was so well mannered and so respectful,” Bowyer mentioned.
The Division of Justice mentioned Bowyer’s illegal enterprise used a number of Costa Rica-based web sites and a name heart so prospects may place and monitor bets.
Bowyer mentioned he by no means requested Mizuhara if a few of these bets he was making had been for Ohtani.
MLB investigated the case and concluded that Ohtani was not making unlawful bets.
“Based mostly on the thoroughness of the federal investigation that was made public, the knowledge MLB collected, and the felony continuing being resolved with out being contested, MLB considers Shohei Ohtani a sufferer of fraud and this matter has been closed,” MLB in June 2024 mentioned.
Prosecutors mentioned Mizuhara made not less than 19,000 wagers between September 2021 and January 2024, via Bowyer.
“Throughout this era, Mizuhara had whole successful bets of not less than $142,256,769, and whole shedding bets of not less than $182,935,206, leaving Mizuhara owing roughly $40,678,436. Frequently throughout this era, Bowyer would enhance Mizuhara’s betting limits,” the Division of Justice mentioned.
Bowyer advised The Put up he requested Mizuhara in regards to the cash he was constantly shedding.
“I requested him if he was OK,” Bowyer mentioned. “He mentioned, ‘I’m simply horrible at this.’ I might attempt to management him somewhat bit.”
“I actually consider he had an enormous playing dependancy drawback.”
From February 2022 to January 2024, Bowyer directed Mizuhara to make funds of not less than $16.25 million to Bowyer-controlled financial institution accounts, all of which had been proceeds of Bowyer’s unlawful playing enterprise, the Division of Justice mentioned.
Bowyer mentioned regardless of his considerations he didn’t minimize off Mizuhara due to his greed.
“I used to be in my very own playing dependancy, going to Vegas [from his San Juan Capistrano, California home] and betting tens of millions of {dollars}.”
“I used to be driving my Rolls [Royce] and Lamborghini.”
Bowyer transferred or directed the switch of least $9.3 million from Mizuhara to a on line casino within the type of wire transfers as fee for markers for Bowyer and his associates, the DOJ mentioned.
“Now, I really feel responsible as a result of I really feel I used to be a part of it,” Bowyer mentioned referring to Mizuhara’s downfall.
The DOJ mentioned Bowyer additionally took bets from then-current and former skilled athletes.
Bowyer for the primary time is saying this consists of MLB’s all-time hit chief Pete Rose, who died in September.
“Rose simply beloved the motion,” Bowyer mentioned when he began taking Charlie Hustle’s sports activities bets round 2004 when Rose was residing in Las Vegas.
“He was completely compulsive. No query.”
In actual fact, he mentioned when Rose began betting greater than his $1,000 a recreation common after a couple of years he minimize him off.
“I wasn’t an angel however I needed to maintain my buyer from blowing his brains out,” Bowyer mentioned.
MLB banned Rose completely in 1989 for allegedly betting on Cincinnati Reds recreation whereas he managed and performed for the crew.
Bowyer mentioned he believes about half of present skilled athletes guess on sports activities.
“I do know a few of them are nonetheless betting on sports activities,” he mentioned.
“If 50 % are playing, I might suppose 10 % of these are compulsive gamblers.”
Nonetheless, he mentioned he believes lower than 3 % guess on their very own sport.
Bowyer doesn’t suppose skilled video games are fastened, and was shocked to listen to final week in regards to the federal investigation into NBA participant Terry Rozier.
“I used to be very shocked as a result of he’s filthy wealthy and often the those who are typically doing these items aren’t on $90 million contracts,” Bowyer mentioned.
Bowyer has 5 youngsters, together with two who usually are not but adults, and is hoping he will get probation and never jail time.
He’s no longer allowed in casinos and mentioned he’s making his cash by promoting AstroTurf.
“It’s very onerous to remain clear whenever you go from having dopamine rushes and betting $1 million on a soccer recreation to having zero revenue,” Bowyer mentioned.
“The very first thing you need to do is gamble.”
He mentioned he’s planning to self-publish a ebook on his experiences quickly after his sentencing.