Ticket tout gang raked in £2 million but avoids jail sentence (From Watford Observer)
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Ticket tout gang raked in £2 million but avoids jail sentence
12:20pm Wednesday 29th August 2012 in News By Court Reporter
A gang of touts who raked in more than £2m selling tickets to see Premiership football matches avoided a jail sentence at Southwark Crown Court yesterday.
Michael Mayiger, 32, his brother Yonatan Miger, 26, and Michelle Khatan, 31, headed a scam charging fans up to £252 on top of a ticket's face value.
They sold more than 20,000 Premiership tickets to see teams including Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool in the 2009/10 season alone.
They also employed touts Patrick Withers, Jerome Scaletta, Mark Woof and Simon Huck, to target northern clubs.
Officers estimate the gang turned over at least £2m between August 2008 and May 2011.
Alleged co-conspirators Amit Biton and Maria Montero fled the country after police made their initial raids.
The racket came to light when counter-fraud officials at some of the targeted clubs investigated block bookings and were led to Mayiger and Khatan, a husband and wife of Albanwood, Watford, and Miger from Golders Green.
Police raided an address in north London and discovered computer spread sheets relating to 21,754 tickets which, at an average mark up of £100 per ticket, officers concluded would have sold for more than £2.1m.
Mayiger was said to have netted around £150,000, while Khatan pocketed £52,500, and Miger £15,000.
Mayiger and Khatan admitted conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and possessing criminal property. A just convicted Miger of the same offences.
Judge Higgins jailed Mayiger and Miger for 12 months suspended for two years and ordered them to carry out 280 and 250 hours of unpaid work respectively.
Kahtan was given an eight month sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to perform 200 hours unpaid work.
Four others pleaded guilty to possessing criminal property and were give suspended jail sentences and ordered to do 150 hours community service.
Comments(5)
The Rover
says...
12:53pm Wed 29 Aug 12
Roy Stockdill
says...
1:02pm Wed 29 Aug 12
1) Yes, I tend to agree that gullible people may often deserve everything they get; however that is what some of these touts rely upon, i.e. human greed. It doesn't make their actions any less despicable.
2) The price of coke and burgers at Wembley Stadium may be exorbitant but it's not actually illegal, as ticket touting is. The answer surely, if you are going to an event at Wembley, is to make sure you eat and drink something first if you don't want to pay their prices.
The Rover
says...
1:13pm Wed 29 Aug 12
Roy Stockdill wrote:Tickets Touts work on a supply and demand basis. If there was no demand they would not do it. I accept it is illegal, but cannot really understand why. The only negative is that it could stop fans being are to but tickets at their face value in some cases. But really,is this not how many businesses work? If there is a fuel shortage the cost of fuel goes up. I was recently trying to buy an External Hard Drive and due to a flood or something prices had more then doubled overnight. If I really wanted one I had no choice but to pay the higher price. Look at the ridiculous prices that tickets for the Olympics were changing hands for. If someone wants take a punt and buy some tickets, and sell them on for a profit what is the harm? If there was no demand they would not do it. Personally I do not see ticket touting as a real crime and feel that if the police have the limited resources they claimto have they should be using them to solve (or prevent) real crime. If B&Q try to sell a tin of paint for more than its RRP that is not paint touting is it!
There are two issues raised in your message, The Rover.....
1) Yes, I tend to agree that gullible people may often deserve everything they get; however that is what some of these touts rely upon, i.e. human greed. It doesn't make their actions any less despicable.
2) The price of coke and burgers at Wembley Stadium may be exorbitant but it's not actually illegal, as ticket touting is. The answer surely, if you are going to an event at Wembley, is to make sure you eat and drink something first if you don't want to pay their prices.
LSC
says...
9:45am Fri 31 Aug 12
The fact is at the moment it is, and £2 million was made illegaly.
Would we see the same sentences if it was the Inland Revenue they had aquired this money from and not the general public?
Roy Stockdill says...
5:26pm Tue 28 Aug 12
1) What sort of sentences are these?
2) What planet do judges live on?
Answers on a postcard.....!
No mention, I notice, of the criminals being ordered to repay their ill-gotten gains. Am I in the wrong business, I ask myself?
The police must be in despair when they put in months of investigative work and the scumbags get away with it!