U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe | U.S. Department of Justice
Jeffrey Thurn, a resident of Hartford, South Dakota, has been sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. The sentence was handed down by Senior U.S. District Judge Federico A. Moreno in Miami. Thurn was also ordered to pay approximately $5.1 million in restitution after pleading guilty to operating a fraudulent ticket re-selling scheme.
Court records reveal that Thurn, aged 39, deceived victims into sending him over $5 million for a supposed ticket re-selling business under the fictitious name Backstage Tickets. He assured investors that he would purchase tickets with their funds and sell them for profit. Thurn made specific promises, including guaranteeing a certain profit margin before earning any fee and refunding investor money if an event was canceled or rescheduled.
To convince investors of his legitimacy and encourage further investment, Thurn provided fake receipts from various third-party ticket re-selling outlets as proof of completed sales. However, these receipts were fabricated, and no actual ticket sales occurred.
Thurn admitted in his factual proffer that the $5 million raised from investors was used for his personal benefit.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Jeffrey B. Veltri, Special Agent in Charge at the FBI's Miami Field Office.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Miami Field Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Cruz prosecuted the case.
Further details and related court documents can be accessed on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida or through their PACER system under case number 23-cr-20481.
