Two individuals have been arrested and arraigned for allegedly stealing over 900 concert tickets, including hundreds for Taylor Swift’s sold-out Eras Tour, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on March 3.
The suspects—Tyrone Rose, 20, from Kingston, Jamaica, and Shamara Simmons, 31, from Queens—are accused of exploiting a security loophole at a third-party contractor for StubHub, illegally obtaining digital ticket URLs, and reselling them for a massive profit. If convicted, they could face up to 15 years in prison.
The Scheme: How the Tickets Were Stolen
According to prosecutors, the ticket fraud scheme was carried out between June 2022 and July 2023 by two individuals working at Sutherland, a third-party contractor for StubHub, based in Kingston, Jamaica. Rose and an unidentified accomplice allegedly accessed StubHub’s internal systems and intercepted digital ticket URLs before they were emailed to the rightful buyers.
The stolen URLs were then redirected to Simmons in Queens and another accomplice, now deceased, who downloaded the tickets and resold them on StubHub for personal gain. The fraudulent resale operation is believed to have generated over $635,000 in illicit profits.
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Targeting High-Profile Events
Authorities revealed that the stolen tickets were primarily for high-value events, including:
- Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour
- Adele concerts
- Ed Sheeran concerts
- NBA games
- US Open Tennis Championships
“These defendants tried to use the popularity of Taylor Swift’s concert tour and other high-profile events to profit at the expense of others,” DA Katz stated. “They allegedly exploited a loophole through an offshore ticket vendor to steal tickets to the biggest concert tour of the last decade and then resold those seats for an extraordinary profit.”
Legal Action and Possible Sentences
Rose and Simmons were formally charged with:
- Grand larceny in the second degree
- Computer tampering in the first degree
- Conspiracy in the fourth degree
- Computer tampering in the fourth degree
Both suspects have been ordered to appear in court again on March 7. If convicted, they could face between three and fifteen years behind bars.
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A Win for Cybercrime Investigators
DA Katz praised the swift action of law enforcement and cybercrime investigators, highlighting the importance of collaboration between authorities and industry partners in tackling fraud.
“This takedown highlights the vigilance of my office’s Cybercrime and Cryptocurrency Unit as well as the importance of working with our industry partners to combat fraudulent activities and ensure the protection of consumers,” she said.
Consumer Protection and Ticketing Security
The case underscores the vulnerabilities within digital ticketing systems and the growing threat of cybercrime in the entertainment industry. Ticketing platforms like StubHub are expected to enhance security measures to prevent similar fraud cases in the future.
Concertgoers are urged to be cautious when purchasing tickets online and to only buy from authorized sellers to avoid falling victim to scams.
With Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour being one of the most sought-after concert series in recent history, authorities warn that fraudsters will continue to target major events, making vigilance and enforcement crucial in protecting consumers from ticket scams.