SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California bookmaker who took thousands of sports bets from the former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani is expected to be sentenced in federal court on Friday.

Mathew Bowyer, now 50, pleaded guilty a year ago to running an illegal gambling business, money laundering and filing a false tax return.

Federal prosecutors want Bowyer sentenced to 15 months in prison for running the scheme that placed hundreds of millions of dollars in bets and netted thousands of dollars each day. They say Bowyer could have faced a longer sentence but shouldn't thanks to his significant assistance in their investigations.

Diane Bass, Bowyer’s attorney, wants her client to be spared prison time entirely because of his “extraordinary acceptance of responsibility.

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