A Santa Ana bookmaker, Mathew Bowyer, received 12 months and one day in federal prison for running an illegal gambling operation, money laundering and filing a false tax return, with two years of supervised release and $1.6 million restitution to the IRS.

The case ties Bowyer to a broader probe into illegal sports betting that also involved Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, who is serving about five years after pleading to bank and tax fraud tied to a massive wagering scheme. Bowyer’s cooperation helped prosecutors secure two convictions, highlighting the scale of offshore betting and the crackdown, while MLB’s actions—like Tucupita Marcano’s lifetime ban—underscore ongoing risk for players and bettors alike.