Report: Ippei Mizuhara Wired Shohei Ohtani's Stolen Funds to 'Real Housewives' Star

The bookmaker's associate to whom Ippei Mizuhara wired money to pay off his gambling debts has been revealed.

According to ESPN's Tisha Thompson, the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani sent the money he stole from his longtime friend to Ryan Boyajian, a current cast member of Bravo's reality TV series The Real Housewives of Orange County.

Mizuhara is accused of stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani to feed what he described to be a gambling addiction. His arraignment is scheduled for May 14.

Matthew Bowyer, the illegal bookmaker under investigation, allegedly told Mizuhara that he could pay his debts by wiring money to an account of an associate, identified as "Associate 1" in the complaint against Mizuhara. Thompson reported that the associate is Boyajian, who operated the account with Bowyer for their real estate projects.

Boyajian and Bowyer reportedly "have been close friends and business associates for nearly 20 years." Records show that Boyajian loaned Bowyer $245,000 when he declared bankruptcy in 2011. The two of them reportedly often have been seen gambling together in Las Vegas. Boyajian also allegedly forwarded the money he received from Mizuhara to his own "marker" accounts at Resorts World and Pechanga Resort Casino in Southern California to gamble with it.

Boyajian's criminal attorney told Thompson that his client is cooperating with authorities.

"Because there is an active investigation and Ryan is working with the authorities, he can't confirm or deny what is going on," Steven Katzman said. "He is not a bookmaker or a sub-bookie."

Thompson added that sources said Boyajian is receiving immunity in exchange for his testimony.