Two Pennsylvania men were charged with multiple counts of fraud Wednesday for allegedly selling millions of dollars worth of stolen U.S. Open tickets over eight years. Jeremi Michael Conaway and James Bell were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, and one count of wire fraud, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The two allegedly—and separately—bought thousands of tickets from Robert Fryer, an employee with the U.S. Golf Association, and resold them through their own ventures, defrauding the USGA of more than $3.7 million. Fryer was arrested for the scheme, which was first reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer, in August.
“Criminals that conduct ticket schemes like this prey on the excitement surrounding big events; fans should remember that any item with a low price that seems ‘too good to be true’ should be cause for caution and concern,” Acting U. S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams said in a statement. If the two are convicted, they face up to 100 years in prison and a $1.25 million fine, among other charges.
Read it at Philadelphia Inquirer
