A Southern California bookmaker, Mathew Bowyer, pleaded guilty to running an illegal gambling business, money laundering, and subscribing to a false tax return. He admitted to taking wagers from over 700 customers, including the former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, Ippei Mizuhara, who stole money from Ohtani to pay gambling debts.

Bowyer, 49, entered his plea in federal court in Santa Ana and is set to be sentenced on Feb. 7. “I was running an illegal gambling operation, laundering money through other people’s bank accounts,” Bowyer told the judge.

Prosecutors stated that Bowyer operated his illegal gambling business for at least five years in Southern California and Las Vegas. Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud for stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani’s bank account.

Ippei Mizuhara allegedly wired millions from Shohei Ohtani’s account to partake in betting, which is illegal under the MLB’s policy for its employees.

Mizuhara, who is scheduled for sentencing in October, made approximately 19,000 wagers between September 2021 and January 2024. His winnings totaled over $142 million, while his losing bets amounted to around $183 million, resulting in a net loss of nearly $41 million. Investigators found no evidence that Mizuhara bet on baseball, and Ohtani, who cooperated with investigators, is considered a victim.

Federal prosecutors noted that Bowyer’s customers also included a professional baseball player for a Southern California club and a former minor league player, neither of whom were named in court filings.

Bowyer’s guilty pleas are the latest in a series of sports betting scandals, including one involving Major League Baseball banning San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano for life for betting on baseball, marking the first lifetime ban since Pete Rose in 1989.

MLB’s gambling policy prohibits players and team employees from wagering on baseball, even legally, and also bans betting on other sports with illegal or offshore bookmakers.