Real Housewives Star Implicated in High-Stake Betting Scandal Involving Dodgers Champion

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In a surprising turn of events, a key figure has emerged amidst the betting scandal involving Dodgers champion Shohei Ohtani and his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. This central character, appearing unexpectedly on the stage of this melodrama, is not another sports personality, but Ryan Boyajian, a member of the cast from the Bravo reality TV series, ‘The Real Housewives of Orange County’.

Boyajian, known to millions for his participation on the tantalizing television series as the fiancé of star Jennifer Pedranti, reportedly received numerous payments, destined for illegal bookmaker Matthew Bowyer, via Ohtani’s interpreter, Mizuhara. It is alleged that Mizuhara wired millions of dollars, siphoned off Ohtani’s account, to Boyajian in a bid to pay off his hefty gambling debts.


Unbeknownst to many, Boyajian had been cryptically labelled as “Associate 1” in a federal criminal complaint lodged against Mizuhara. The accusations against the interpreter claim he stole more than a whopping $17 million from the unsuspecting Ohtani.

Just this Wednesday, Mizuhara conceded to a plea deal, nodding in agreement to one count of bank fraud and another of subscribing to a false tax return. He confessed to wiring “at least $15 million” into an account under Boyajian’s name, per court documentation. The reality TV star, in turn, stood as a conduit for the transfer of funds to the California-based Bowyer, known in official reports as “Bookmaker 1”.

Subsequently, Boyajian would siphon the mammoth sum into marker accounts located at Resorts World and California’s Pechanga Casino. This reservoir of money was then converted into chips, wagered on games of fortune, with the remnants cashed out.

Bowyer racked up a staggering loss of $7.9 million at Resorts World in a span from June 2022 to October 2023, according to insiders with direct knowledge of his financial transactions.

The illegal bookmaker found himself in the crosshairs of a broader federal probe into illicit sports betting and potential money laundering within Las Vegas casinos. Moreover, Wayne Nix, a former minor league baseball player who offered unauthorized bookmaking services to several pro players, was also caught in the investigative dragnet.

On the same day Mizuhara accepted his plea deal, Scott Sibella, the former president of Resorts World and MGM Grand, was handed a year’s probation alongside a $9,500 fine for transgressing the Bank Secrecy Act. This legal misstep was the result of Sibella failing to record a suspicious transaction when Nix settled a marker at MGM Grand using $120K in cash. The former president now faces concerted scrutiny for allowing Nix to gamble, despite knowledge that his funds came from illicit bookmaking.

While Nix awaits his fate through an impending sentencing, Bowyer remains as yet unscathed by any legal charges. “He is not a bookmaker or a sub-bookie,” said Steven Katzman, Boyajian’s criminal attorney. The counsel further divulged that his client was “working with federal authorities” but maintained a tight-lip about it, refusing to offer further confirmations about his involvement in the case.

Despite his plea agreement, Mizuhara could face a lengthy up to 30-year prison term. As the plot of this betting scandal unveils, audiences are left with baited breath, waiting for the next big revelation.