SANTA ANA, Calif. -- An illegal bookmaker who took thousands of bets from the former interpreter of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani was sentenced Friday to just over a year in prison.

U.S. District Judge John W. Holcomb gave Mathew Bowyer a prison sentence of 12 months and one day and two years of supervised release. He also ordered Bowyer to attend gambling addiction counseling and to surrender to authorities by Oct. 10. Bowyer paid $1.6 million in restitution before the sentencing.

Bowyer, 50, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to running an illegal gambling business, money laundering and filing a false tax return.

The tax-related crime "is significant and needs to be taken into account," Holcomb said. "Justice demands there be some custody time."

Prosecutors said in a court fi

See Full Page