Alabama police charge couple for selling forged football tickets
On Nov. 12, a couple was accused of selling counterfeit tickets to the Alabama vs. Mississippi State game. The Tuscaloosa Police Department was alerted to the alleged fraud after an individual reported purchasing two football tickets in a Craigslist transaction. After allegedly paying $400 for the tickets, the individual told police that they noticed that the two tickets each had the same barcode and did not look authentic.
Police reportedly asked the individual who purchased the set of tickets to arrange a second ticket purchase with the couple. This time, the 31-year-old woman and 38-year-old man were stopped by police officers and found to be in possession of 16 counterfeit football tickets. They were both detained at the Tuscaloosa county jail on $240,000 bond and charged for 16 counts of second-degree possession of a forged instrument.
According to reports, the lowest ticket prices for the Mississippi State vs. Alabama game were approximately $180 on a secondary ticket seller website. The football match at Bryant-Denny Stadium was highly anticipated, and the heavy interest may have resulted in higher ticket prices.
Selling counterfeit items is a serious crime, and someone accused of committing this offense could face severe sanctions from authorities such as hefty fines and a long jail sentence. In the event an individual is charged with a criminal offense, he or she might want to consult with a lawyer in order to build a strong defense against the allegations. A lawyer could challenge police reports and other evidence if there are inaccuracies or if officers failed to adhere to proper procedure during a defendant’s detainment.
Source: AL.com, “Police arrest two suspects accused of selling counterfeit Alabama football tickets“, John Talty, November 12, 2014
