The Houston Astros won last night’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers to take a two games to one lead in the World Series. A Spring family that had hoped to be at Minute Maid Park to watch the game shelled out $2,000 for four tickets — but found out at the gate that the tickets were counterfeit.
Police are now looking for the seller of the fake tickets — a man who called himself Reggie on Craigslist. He could be charged with a felony white collar crime and if convicted, be sentenced to spend up to two years in a Texas state prison and be fined up to $10,000.
That’s the possible punishment anyone convicted of forgery with a financial instrument faces.
Andrea Falcon said she hopes Reggie is located and prosecuted. She purchased the four tickets on Craigslist for $2,000 in cash, she said. She tried to verify that the tickets were genuine, pressing Reggie for reassurances that the items were real.
“He was willing to meet, willing to let me see the tickets, willing to meet at Minute Maid Park,” she told a Houston TV station.
Reggie apparently told her that he had gotten the four tickets through his work, but was unable to go to the big game.
Falcon said she tried to get people working in the box office at Minute Maid to verify the tickets, but they said they were unable to do that. “We can’t scan them,” box office personnel told her, “but…these are our stock paper — these look great.”
We don’t know if anyone will face charges in this case, but we do know that anyone accused of a white collar crime in Texas can speak with a qualified, experienced criminal defense attorney dedicated to protecting rights and freedom.
