New York City man pleads guilty to defrauding Wisconsin Residents in sports ticket scam

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – 28-year-old Nikhil S. Mahtani from New York City was arraigned in Federal court Tuesday and entered a guilty plea to a charge of wire fraud.

According to court documents, between approximately January 4, 2019, and December 11, 2022, Mahtani placed over 1,000 ads on Craigslist offering high end tickets and luxury box suites to National Football League, National Basketball League, and other professional sporting events around the country.

Numerous victims throughout the Eastern District of Wisconsin and elsewhere were victimized by Mahtani, who accepted thousands of dollars in payments for tickets and suites he knew were not real. In one instance, a large group of friends and family arrived at the Fiserv Forum the night the Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA Championship in 2021, only to be turned away and told their tickets were fraudulent.  As a result of his scheme, Mahtani received approximately $100,000 from victims in Wisconsin and across the United States.

Mahtani faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment or could be fined up to $250,000 and serve up to three years on supervised release.

His sentencing is expected to take place in May.

This case was investigated by the NYPD Financial Crimes Task Force, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

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