A Japanese court has sentenced former yakuza member Yoshimasa Sakai to prison in connection with charges of taking bets on baseball games that involve ex-players of the Yomiuri Giants, Kyodo reported.

According to the news outlet, Tokyo District Court Judge Yuko Ito ordered the 37-year-old to spend 18 months in prison, suspended for three years.

Sakai, an ex-member of Japanese crime syndicate Yamaguchi-gumi, was found guilty of collecting some ¥1.27 million ($11,093) in bets on baseball games. According to the court ruling, the man took commissions from bets placed on 22 professional and high school baseball games between March and October 2014.

“His criminal offense was chronic and the amount of money was not small,” Ito said in the ruling. However, the judge noted that Sakai is already “remaking his life” after reflecting on his actions and breaking from the syndicate.