Five men have been sentenced to a total of 12 and half years in prison in the UK, for large-scale ticket fraud primarily involving tickets for Liverpool Football Club games.
The men were sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday), after pleading guilty to the charges.
Joseph Johnson was sentenced to four years and six months for conspiracy to commit fraud by abuse of position; conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation; and conspiracy to sell tickets fraudulently.
Louis James was sentenced to two years and four months for the same charges, while Liam Rice was sentenced to two years and 10 months for conspiracy to sell tickets fraudulently. Lee Smith was sentenced to two years and 10 months for conspiracy to commit fraud by abuse of position and conspiracy to sell tickets fraudulently.
James Johnson was sentenced to 21 months (suspended) for conspiracy to commit fraud by abuse of position and conspiracy to sell tickets fraudulently.
An investigation from Merseyside Police was looking into large-scale ticket fraud for Liverpool matches, which were dishonestly obtained and resold via secondary marketplaces at inflated prices.
The ticket fraud operation was led by Louis James, Joseph Johnson and Liam Rice, according to the police.
Over time, the fraudulent activity expanded to include other Premier League clubs, as well as the creation of a website to advertise and sell tickets.
Offenders obtained tickets through multiple memberships, using false or misleading information to create multiple accounts. James Johnson was previously employed by Liverpool but left in 2017. The fraud initially came to light in February 2018, after a system upgrade identified patterns with the club then informing the police.
Louis James was dismissed by the club in 2018 after his arrest.
“This was a complex and long-running investigation and it is pleasing to see today’s outcome, and the lasting change it will bring about for fans. We worked closely with LFC to identify these offences, the full extent of which was uncovered as evidence was gathered,” said Detective chief inspector Lynsay Armbruster.
“The criminal group had expanded their operations to other clubs and gone from a primitive bedroom enterprise to a more sophisticated international business, and it is to the benefit of all parties that it was uncovered and their activities dismantled. Measures are now in place to stop such attempts being made in the future.”
A spokesperson for LFC added: “We would like to thank Merseyside Police for the tenacity and professionalism it showed in pursing this successful investigation.
“We have a zero-tolerance approach to the misuse of our tickets to protect genuine fans from being scammed. This approach applies internally as well as externally, as this case highlights.
“All supporters are reminded not to buy tickets from unofficial online channels or unofficial sellers. Details on how to purchase genuine tickets can be found on the Club’s official website.”