Ryan Boyajian, the fiancé of “Real Housewives of Orange County” star Jennifer Pedranti, is allegedly involved in a $16 million gambling and theft scheme with former Japanese Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. Mizuhara reportedly wired money to Boyajian to pay off his gambling debts, with Mizuhara ultimately agreeing to plead guilty to two federal charges related to the theft of almost $17 million from Ohtani’s bank account. Prosecutors revealed that Mizuhara used the stolen money to cover his illegal gambling debts.
According to reports, Mizuhara could be facing over 30 years in federal prison as part of the plea deal, which states that he regularly accessed Ohtani’s bank account to send wire transfers as payments for gambling debts. One specific instance involved Mizuhara transferring $500,000 from Ohtani’s account to one of the bookmaker’s associates without Ohtani’s permission. Boyajian, referred to as “Associate 1”, was allegedly one of the individuals receiving payments from the interpreter. Boyajian’s attorney mentioned that he is cooperating with federal authorities and has immunity in exchange for his testimony.
Boyajian and the alleged illegal bookmaker, identified as Mathew Bowyer, reportedly used Mizuhara’s payments in “marker” accounts at casinos. They would deposit the funds, withdraw chips from the accounts, gamble with them, and cash out if they won. Boyajian, who made his reality TV debut on “RHOC” Season 17, appeared alongside Pedranti, who recently finished filming Season 18 of the Bravo series. Pedranti declined to comment through her representative when contacted by Page Six regarding the situation.
The Office of United States Attorney Martin Estrada released a statement detailing the illegal activities involving Ohtani’s interpreter, Mizuhara, and Boyajian, who is believed to have been one of the recipients of funds wired by Mizuhara. The statement indicated that Mizuhara routinely used Ohtani’s bank account to make payments to cover his gambling debts, with funds being transferred to various associates and bookmakers. Boyajian’s lawyer emphasized that his client is actively cooperating with authorities during the investigation and did not confirm whether Boyajian was involved in any illegal bookmaking activities.
Despite the serious allegations and potential legal consequences for those involved in the scheme, Boyajian’s attorney Steven Katzman stated that his client is fully cooperating with federal authorities, though he could not provide specific details due to the ongoing investigation. Sources close to the situation confirmed that Boyajian received immunity for his cooperation and testimony, suggesting that there may be additional developments and individuals implicated in the case. The scandal involving millions of dollars in stolen funds, gambling activities, and connections to a high-profile sports figure has garnered significant attention and scrutiny from the public and media.
