Published on: August 18, 2025, 02:40h.
Updated on: August 19, 2025, 11:09h.
- Matt Bowyer disclosed details about his friend and colleague, Damien LeForbes, to federal authorities
- Bowyer reportedly appeared to avoid implicating LeForbes during the process
- Facing a potential five-year prison term, Bowyer was sentenced to 15 months for his cooperation with authorities
Mathew Bowyer, a former bookmaker associated with ex-MLB translator Ippei Mizuhara, provided federal prosecutors with information regarding his close friend and fellow bookmaker in exchange for a reduced sentence.
Confronted with the possibility of a five-year prison sentence for operating an illegal gambling operation, money laundering, and submitting a false tax return, Bowyer, aged 50, received only 15 months after aiding the Department of Justice (DOJ) with information on Damien LeForbes, whom Bowyer reportedly owes $1.8 million.
“Given the defendant’s substantial assistance to the government, an eight-level reduction is warranted, adjusting his total offense level to 14, with an applicable Guidelines range of 15-21 months,” stated a document submitted in US District Court for the Central District of California. “A minimal custodial sentence of 15 months is fitting here, balancing the severity and complex nature of his actions while ensuring both specific and general deterrence.”
The document references LeForbes, highlighting Bowyer’s cooperation with the government’s investigation into the former bookie and professional poker player.
“During a voluntary interview in November 2023, the defendant (Bowyer) provided information that aided the government’s understanding of retrieved text messages, leading to a search warrant executed against LeForbes in December 2023,” emphasized the DOJ. “In a follow-up interview in January 2024, additional details regarding LeForbes were shared. These productive interviews and the defendant’s readiness to cooperate facilitated a pre-indictment plea by LeForbes for operating an illegal gambling business and money laundering.”
LeForbes Reportedly Heartbroken
Bowyer and LeForbes had a long-standing friendship, frequently betting at the same Las Vegas Strip casinos and collaborating professionally. This relationship potentially suggests that Bowyer might have transferred some of Mizuhara’s bets to LeForbes. LeForbes had built a reputation as a prominent bookmaker in Los Angeles and across California.
According to an anonymous source, LeForbes is devastated by Bowyer’s betrayal for a lighter sentence. The source shared a screenshot of a text conversation where LeForbes expressed his disbelief at Bowyer’s actions against him in relation to the Justice Department.
“The night I was raided, I went to his house, shaken and crying,” LeForbes narrated in the text conversation. “(Bowyer) embraced me, trying to comfort me and offer advice on next steps. He was aware of the impending situation.”
The source added that if Bowyer had given LeForbes any indication about the upcoming raid, he might have taken measures to safeguard $2 million worth of cryptocurrency, which has since tripled in value. Those assets were seized by the authorities.
Bowyer Benefitted from Assisting Authorities
The Justice Department explicitly stated that Bowyer benefitted from his collaboration at the expense of LeForbes.
The filing noted, “The defendant’s assistance was substantial, prompt, and credible. This cooperation facilitated the successful prosecution of two cases, including a high-profile one, thus justifying an eight-level reduction under Section 5K1.1.”
LeForbes, a former baseball player from UNLV and a resident of Long Beach, California, allegedly placed bets totaling $148 million at an unidentified Las Vegas Strip casino—rumored to be Resorts World—between January 2022 and December 15, 2023. It’s believed he lost an estimated $12.3 million over roughly 50 visits to the unnamed casino hotel. He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years for money laundering and running an illegal gambling operation, with sentencing set for December.