Ohio man pleads guilty to running fake $3 million sports and theme-park ticket scheme

Brown pleaded guilty to 17 wire fraud counts and two counts involving criminal proceeds. (Representational AI image) An Ohio man has pleaded guilty to running a fake investment scheme that prosecutors say convinced five people in Ohio and Florida to hand over more than $3 million, US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio said on Wednesday. John E Brown II, 45, from Brecksville, Ohio, told investors they could make money through a 'rolling code ticket packages' linked to sporting events and theme parks.According to officials, the supposed investment involved bundled admission tickets for experiences such as sports events and theme parks. Brown claimed the value of these ticket packages could change depending on factors including the stock price of theme parks and how well a professional sports team was performing during a season.Brown also told potential investors that the ticket packages could 'split' that would double the number of tickets in a package and increase its value. He further told investors that they could make profits by trading the ticket packages when their value went up.The scheme ran from about May 2020 to May 2024, according to the latest court infor...