A man from New York City who posted Craigslist advertisements for high-end tickets to professional sports events has been given a prison sentence, according to reports from Green Bay, Wisconsin.
According to the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Gregory Haanstad, Nikhil Mahtani has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for wire fraud.
During the sentencing, Senior U.S. District Judge William Griesbach emphasized the importance of deterring both the defendant and any potential fraudsters from committing such serious crimes. He described the offense as a “systemic violation” of those who were eagerly anticipating attending the sporting events and denied Mahtani’s plea for probation.
The court has directed Mahtani to compensate his victims with a sum of $88,000 and undergo three years of supervised release.
Nikhil S. Mahtani, a resident of New York City aged 28, pleaded guilty to a wire fraud charge in Federal court on Tuesday.
Mahtani, as per court records, posted more than 1,000 advertisements on Craigslist from January 4, 2019, to December 11, 2022. These ads were for premium tickets and luxury box suites for various professional sporting events, including the National Football League and the National Basketball League, among others.
Mahtani victimized many individuals in the Eastern District of Wisconsin and beyond by accepting thousands of dollars in exchange for tickets and suites that he knew were fake. One incident involved a significant number of friends and family members who showed up at Fiserv Forum on the night of the Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA Championship win in 2021, only to be denied entry because their tickets were fraudulent. Mahtani’s scheme resulted in him receiving around $100,000 from victims located throughout the United States, including Wisconsin.
If convicted, Mahtani could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
It is anticipated that he will be sentenced in May.
The NYPD Financial Crimes Task Force, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office conducted an investigation into this case. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble is handling the prosecution.
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