Prosecutors recommend 15-month sentence for Matt Bowyer, bookmaker for former Ohtani interpreter

Heading into this month’s sentencing, Matt Bowyer initially faced the potential of several years behind bars in federal prison for an illegal bookmaking ring involving the one-time interpreter for Shohei Ohtani.

Bowyer, a California bookmaker who accepted millions in wagers from Ohtani’s ex-interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, feared a sentence of more than three years. But when federal prosecutors submitted a pre-sentence filing last Friday, they endorsed far more leniency.

In a 21-page filing in advance of Bowyer’s 29 August court date, the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California recommended a sentence of 15 months. Following Bowyer’s plea hearing last summer in which he admitted guilt, his attorney estimated that the bookmaker could face between 30 and 37 months in federal prison.

Bowyer, 50, pleaded guilty to several felony charges, most notably running an illegal gambling operation and transactional money laundering. Described as one of the nation’s largest bookmakers, Bowyer lost millions at Resorts World Las Vegas casino.

Bowyer at one time expressed hesitance to cooperate with the government’s investigation of Resorts World, according to sources who spoke to iGB on the condition of anonymity. The relative leniency of the sentencing recommendation filed on Friday, however, could mean that Bowyer has provided assistance to the government over the last month.

Judge will make final sentencing decision

Bowyer’s hearing near the end of the month will take place at the Ronald Regan Federal Building in Santa Ana, California. Diane Bass, Bowyer’s attorney, petitioned the court for a sentence of time served, followed by a period of home confinement. Bowyer will appear before US District Judge John W Holcomb.

Holcomb is the same judge who sentenced Mizuhara to prison in February. In handing down a 57-month sentence against Mizuhara, Holcomb sentenced the ex-interpreter to the upper range of the guidelines.

Holcomb is not bound by the prosecutors’ recommendations when he imposes Bowyer’s sentence.

Bowyer sentence moves downward

Before last Friday’s report, a probation officer prepared a set of recommendations based on the facts of the case.

In total, Bowyer faced three charges for running an illegal gambling operation, transactional money laundering and filing a false tax return.

Had the case gone to trial, Bowyer could have faced up to 18 years in prison. The officer calculated a total offence level of ’22’ with a corresponding range of 41 to 51 months of incarceration.

However, prosecutors cited several mitigating factors in their recommendation to the court. Since last year’s guilty plea, a seemingly more contrite Bowyer has been visible on social media in taking full responsibility for his actions.

He also pledged to serve as a role model for the problem gambling community by speaking with compulsive gamblers on the missteps to avoid when betting heavily on sports. Prosecutors subsequently recommended a range of 15 to 21 months, while further advising that a sentence on the low end of the range should be appropriate.

According to a 2023 memo from the US Sentencing Commission, when a defendant provides assistance to the government, the reduction amount is dependent on numerous factors, including the truthfulness and reliability of testimony as well as its usefulness.

Furthermore, in most cases, the assistance must be must be inculpatory, or prove a defendant’s guilt, for offences for which the government does not have sufficient evidence, according to a 2015 NYU Law Review piece on the subject. In other words, the government “only pays” for evidence it does not already have, author Shana Knizhnik wrote.

Assistance in conviction of Ohtani ex-interpreter

In the memo, prosecutors cited Bowyer’s assistance in helping secure two convictions, including a high-profile one. The citation refers to the conviction of Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Ohtani, a three-time MLB MVP. Mizuhara admitted to embezzling approximately $17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers star to feed his own massive sports gambling habit.

Mizuhara, according to court filings, placed roughly 19,000 wagers with Bowyer’s enterprise, accumulating net losses of $40.6 million. While Bowyer understood that Mizuhara had a “massive gambling addiction”, the bookmaker continued to increase his betting limits, prosecutors wrote. It is one reason why prosecutors are recommending prison time, in spite of Bowyer’s assistance. In addition, Bowyer did not commit just a single offence, but rather operated a multi-year enterprise that raked in millions of dollars, they wrote.

Still, the assistance proved to be valuable. Bowyer’s counsel informed the government of impending media reports and provided information regarding Mizuhara in a voluntary interview in January 2024. The attorney, according to prosecutors, subsequently provided further information two months later after Mizuhara’s undertakings became public. In June, the former interpreter began serving a multi-year sentence at a federal prison in Pennsylvania.

Kristen Williams, an assistant US Attorney with the Central District of California, also pointed to Bowyer’s cooperation in the conviction of Damien LeForbes, another illegal bookmaker in the sweeping case. However, court records indicate that Bowyer provided assistance concerning Mizuhara and LeForbes before the start of 2025.

The timing of events raises questions on the nature of assistance Bowyer may have provided in last-minute negotiations. As of Monday, Bowyer is the only member of his enterprise who has faced indictment in the probe. Last year, ESPN reported that Bowyer associate Ryan Boyajian could have received complete immunity in exchange for his cooperation with federal authorities.