Jeremi Michael Conaway and James Bell Wiki – Jeremi Michael Conaway and James Bell Biography
Jeremi Michael Conaway, 46, and James Bell, 69, face up to 100 years in prison and a $ 1.25 million fine if convicted in the scheme against the US Golf Association, Acting US Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams said Wednesday. Two Pennsylvania men sold thousands of stolen US Open tickets worth more than $ 3.7 million in a span of six years, federal prosecutors said.
Prosecutors allege that West Chester’s Conaway and Glen Mills’ Bell conspired with a former employee of the U.S. Golf Association’s ticket office, Robert Fryer, to purchase 22,504 tickets to the Golf Open. USA between 2013 and 2019. Fryer, 39, of Perkasie, has already pleaded guilty to conspiracy and mail and wire fraud charges in the case and faces up to 20 years in prison. the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Arrested – Charged
Fryer admitted to operating the scheme in which he stole thousands of US Open tickets beginning in 2013, when the event was held at the Lower Merion Golf Club in Ardmore. The USGA was not aware that Fryer was providing the stolen tickets to Conaway and Bell, who resold them through their ticket broker companies for huge profits. Conaway earned $ 1,276,134 on the plan, while Bell earned $ 598,234, prosecutors allege.
Fryer sometimes delivered the stolen tickets personally or mailed them, prosecutors said. The face value of the stolen US Open tickets amounted to more than $ 3.7 million, equivalent to the USGA’s lost ticket revenue over the six-year period, Williams said.
“These defendants allegedly stole revenue from an American institution and a legitimate business that pays taxes, employs many, supports a non-profit organization, and brings excitement and revenue to our district with US Open events in fields like the Merion. Golf Club, “Williams said. in a sentence. The USGA normally limits the number of tickets sold to any one person or business to 20, but the court filing cited by the Inquirer program Conaway and Bell emailed Fryer requesting hundreds of tickets at a time.
USGA officials announced in August that federal authorities had informed them of the theft months earlier. The charges against Conaway were filed late last month, while Bell was indicted Tuesday. Neither was in custody Wednesday and was expected to surrender at a later date, a court spokesman told the Inquirer.
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