What are the charges against Ryan Boyajian? ‘RHOC’ star remains mum as FBI investigates MLB gambling scandal
ORANGE CITY, CALIFORNIA: 'Real Housewives of Orange County' member Ryan Boyajian has found himself in hot waters lately. Jennifer Pedranti's fiance Ryan's legal troubles have been showcased in Season 18 of the Bravo show.
For the unversed, in May 2024, Ryan was linked to a $16 million gambling scandal that revolved around Shohei Ohtani, an MLB player who is a part of the baseball team Los Angeles Dodgers. Then ESPN was the first to break the news of the MLB gambling scandal surrounding Shohei and his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara who allegedly used the player's funds to pay off his debts.
Ryan's name came up in the gambling case when many sources informed the media outlet that he served as the bookkeeper's associate who joined hands with Mizuhara to acquire the funds. Matthew, one of Ryan's close pals borrowed $245K from him when he went bankrupt in 2011. They reportedly used the money from Shohei's account for their real estate business.
Allegations state that Mizuhara transferred the money to Ryan from Shohei's bank account to settle his debts, which Ryan then sent into "marker" accounts at Las Vegas casinos in Southern California.
The pair allegedly used the money and pocketed any winnings. However, Ryan has been offered immunity for cooperating with the FBI investigation, he has decided to remain silent, allowing his attorney, Steven Katzman, to speak on his behalf.
“Because there is an active investigation and Ryan is working with the authorities, he can’t confirm or deny what is going on. He is not a bookmaker or a sub-bookie," Katzman said.
MLB player Shohei Ohtani's interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was addicted to gambling
Talking of Ippei Mizuhara's involvement in the MLB gambling case, he betrayed his longtime client Shohei Ohtani for the sake of money. During a press conference in April 2024, US attorney Martin Estrada revealed that Shohei had no clue about Ippei's misuse of his funds, as per ESPN.
Along with this, Estrada also stated that after studying years of text messages shared between the two, they never had a single conversation about gambling.
"I want to emphasize this point: Mr. Ohtani is considered a victim in this case. Mr. Mizuhara used and abused that position of trust ... to plunder Mr. Ohtani's bank account to the tune of over $16 million," Estrada said.
Mizuhara's gambling debts started in October 2021. While having a chat with the media outlet, Mizuhara confessed that he has a "gambling addiction," as shared in the 37-page complaint that consisted of text messages that were related to gambling.
According to NBC Los Angeles, Mizuahara pleaded guilty to bank fraud. "I worked for (Ohtani) and I had access to his accounts. I fell into gambling debt and the only way I could think of was to access his money. I wired money for my gambling debt from his account," he said during a hearing.
As of this moment, the investigation regarding the gambling case is still on.
'RHOC' star Jennifer Pedranti stands by her fiance Ryan Boyajian amid a gambling scandal
'RHOC' star Jennifer Pedranti has stood strong by her partner Ryan Boyajian's side amidst all of his legal troubles. The Bravo housewife and her fiance Ryan share a blended family that includes five children.
In a preview of the show's upcoming episode, Tamra Judge can be seen calling out Ryan for his connection to the gambling scandal. "How's the FBI going for you" Tamra asked Ryan. Soon after Jennifer chimed in to showcase her support for her husband.
'RHOC' Season 18 airs every Thursday at 9 pm ET only on Bravo.
