Matthew Bowyer, a VIP sports bettor described as one of the nation’s largest bookmakers, pled guilty to three charges in a sweeping illegal sports wagering case that has rocked the professional sports world over the last four months.

Bowyer, pictured at center in the above photo, is the bookmaker tied to Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter of MLB star Shohei Ohtani. According to court filings, Bowyer admitted Wednesday to operating an illegal gambling business, transactional money laundering, and filing a false tax return. Earlier this month, Mizuhara pleaded guilty in Southern California to one count of bank fraud and one count of filing a false tax return in connection with the multi-million dollar scheme.

Over a 27-month period through Jan. 2024, more than $16 million was transferred via wire from a checking account that belonged to an individual described in a federal complaint as “Victim A.” Based on the fact pattern within the complaint, Victim A is presumed to be Ohtani.

Those funds were transferred to bank accounts of associates of an operator of an illegal sportsbook, an individual deemed “Bookmaker 1” in the April 2024 complaint. The individual referenced as Bookmaker 1 is presumed to be Bowyer. In totality, Bowyer runs one of the nation’s largest betting-bookmaking operations, a source told Sports Handle.

On Oct. 3, 2023, Joel Richlin, a U.S. Magistrate Judge, authorized a search of the bookmaker’s residence, person, and cell phone, according to the complaint. Evidence seized confirmed the bookmaker’s involvement in the operation of an illegal sports bookmaking business, IRS special agent Chris Seymour wrote in the complaint.

During the search of the phone, law enforcement detected numerous communications that detailed the operation of a large, illegal bookmaking business, as well as URL addresses for two websites that the bookmaker used to carry out the operations, Seymour wrote.

Mizuhara, who faces a maximum of 33 years in prison, is scheduled to be sentenced in October.

The origins of Mizuhara’s relationship with Bowyer date back to a 2021 San Diego poker game, according to the ex-interpreter. While Bowyer apparently took wagers from more than 600 betting clients, Mizuhara was by far his largest, according to a confidential source who spoke to Sports Handle on the condition of anonymity.

Over a 17-month period through October 2023, Bowyer lost $7.9 million at Resorts World Las Vegas, ESPN reported. Ryan Boyajian, a Bowyer associate, reportedly lost $3.7 million on table games at the casino, according to the Nevada Current. Mizuhara reportedly paid some of his losses to a Bowyer associate, who subsequently forwarded the proceeds to his marker account at the casino, according to ESPN. Resorts World Las Vegas has not been charged in the ongoing investigation.

Last fall, Resorts World Las Vegas terminated former president Scott Sibella for violations of company policy. Sibella received a year of probation when a federal judge sentenced him on a conviction for federal anti-money laundering violations in May. The charges surround Sibella’s failure to file a suspicious transaction report on bookmaker Wayne Nix when he formerly served as president of MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Following the sentencing hearing, an attorney for Sibella said that his client had no involvement in Bowyer’s bookmaking activities and had no connection to Mizuhara. However, an agent of Bowyer placed wagers with Nix’s operation, a source informed Sports Handle in April. To date, at least a dozen defendants, including Nix, have pleaded guilty in connection with the sweeping California illegal sports betting probe.

Diane Bass, Bowyer’s attorney, told NBCLA in March that Mizuhara placed wagers at a sportsbook run by her client. Bowyer and Mizuhara corresponded mostly via text message, but sometimes in person, she added. Over the course of the investigation, Bass has not responded to multiple inquiries from Sports Handle.

This is a developing story, more to come.