OSU-Michigan ticket scammer found guilty

[MrBond]

Some of you might remember this from last year when I posted it:

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060929/NEWS02/609290409

Last year, a local guy selling tickets on eBay had tickets for the Ohio State-Michigan game. He sold tickets to 250 people for about $161,000 total.

He never sent any tickets out though. A couple guys came to his house asking for the tickets or a refund, he said he was going to the bank to get the money and left them there with his wife. Then he skipped town and fled to Florida with the money.

They eventually found him and brought him back to Ohio. He went to trial this week and the jury took two hours to find him guilty.

eBay reinbursed all the people he scammed and filed a civil lawsuit against him.

Good to hear a "Scammed on ebay" story with a happy ending.

 

[quakefiend420]

he left them with his wife and bounced?

that's low

 

[FoBoT]

$5,000 fine on each count
how many counts?
it mentions 250 people, so $5000 x 250 = $1,250,000 ?

 

[MrBond]

I'm not sure if it's 250 counts or 2. He was found guilty of Telecommunications fraud and theft.

It doesn't mention if they took the money back or not. Seems like eBay would be entitled to it (which is probably what the civil suit is for).

quakefiend, in one article I read, the two guys that came asked him how they knew he'd be back and he told them "I'm leaving you with my wife, of course I'll be back", then he skipped town.

His wife, not surprisingly, isn't talking to him anymore.

Edit: From this story:

http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=5473697

It looks like the $5000 fine and 18 months in prison is the max for each crime (theft and telecommunications fraud), so he could face 3 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. I hope they give him the max sentance.

 

[Genx87]

People are such morons.

A. Why bother
B. Even when caught why run with 161K? Is 161K really a lot of cash?
C. Leave your wife with two guys and run like a bish?

Send the guy to prison and let the girls take care of him for awhile.

 

[saahmed]

Ebay actually gave peoples money back? Wow. Thats a first.

 

[paulney]

Originally posted by: saahmed
Ebay actually gave peoples money back? Wow. Thats a first.

That's what I was thinking, too.

 

[jiwq]

It probably took the jury 2 seconds to find him guilty, but 2 hours to fill out the paperwork on all the counts he was indicted for.

And you can be sure that ebay didn't give anybody their money back. The only thing these people can do is hope that he still has the money somewhere so they can take it from him.

 

[mugs]

250 people paid $161,000 to see a college football game?

Suckers.

 

[SampSon]

What a moron, running a scam like that with your real name and address....

He probably won't see a day in jail.
Oh hell, just send him there and create one less vacancy for a violent criminal.
Or better yet let a violent criminal, like a rapist, out on bail to make room for this guy.

 

[halik]

what a douchebag,
his story about how he wasnt planning on scaming people is completly uselss, seing as he fled the state immediately beforehand. If there was any truth to what he was saying, he's simply apologize and refund the customers money.

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: mugs
250 people paid $161,000 to see a college football game?

Suckers.

It's only the biggest rivalry in all sports... a pair of good seats in a low can easily hit 1500 dollars

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Originally posted by: halik

Originally posted by: mugs
250 people paid $161,000 to see a college football game?

Suckers.

It's only the biggest rivalry in all sports... a pair of good seats in a low can easily hit 1500 dollars

Exactly, and if you're raking in the money, ticket price isn't exactly going to matter.

 

[SampSon]

Originally posted by: halik

Originally posted by: mugs
250 people paid $161,000 to see a college football game?

Suckers.

It's only the biggest rivalry in all sports... a pair of good seats in a low can easily hit 1500 dollars

Biggest college rivalry or not, it's not worth a couple thousand dollars.

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: SampSon

Originally posted by: halik

Originally posted by: mugs
250 people paid $161,000 to see a college football game?

Suckers.

It's only the biggest rivalry in all sports... a pair of good seats in a low can easily hit 1500 dollars

Biggest college rivalry or not, it's not worth a couple thousand dollars.

to you perhaps, well worth to other folk.