Former WFAN Host Craig Carton Gets 3 1/2 Years For Role In Ticket Scam
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) – Sports radio personality Craig Carton has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison for a ticket reselling scam that ended his decade-long show with ex-NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason.
Carton was convicted last November for his role in a plot to defraud investors with a ticket scam.
He took in nearly $7 million by telling victims he could get them VIP tickets to top concerts and sporting events, but he used that cash to pay off gambling debts and personal expenses.
MORE: Craig Carton Convicted On All Counts In Ponzi Scheme Trial
Carton faces up to 45 years in prison.
Last month, a judge sentenced a New Jersey man to nearly two years in prison for his role in the case.
The 42-year-old Michael Wright of Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, told a magistrate judge he withdrew $550,000 in December 2016 from a ticket-selling business account at Carton's instruction to pay toward Carton's debts.
Wright was sentenced to nearly two years in prison for his role in the scheme.
READ: U.S. District Court Southern District Of New York Complaint (pdf)
Carton, 49, of Manhattan, co-hosted "Boomer and Carton" on Sports Radio WFAN with former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason but left the show after his arrest in 2017. At the time, he insisted on his innocence.
READ: Southern District of New York Press Release On Craig Carton Verdict
Police said Carton, along with Wright, committed wire fraud, securities fraud, and conspiracy to commit fraud. After Carton's conviction, the district attorney's office released a state describing some of the actions the pair used to keep the scheme going.
"In the fall of 2016, CARTON, Wright, and CC-1 exchanged emails and text messages regarding their existing debts. On September 5, 2016, for example, Wright emailed CARTON and CC-1, "for the sake of our conversation tomorrow," and outlined "the debt past due and due next week." Wright listed several apparent creditors, to whom he, CC-1, and/or CARTON were personally indebted for over a million dollars. Wright listed eight possible options for repaying the debt, including "Run to Costa Rica, change name, and start life all over again – may not be an option." CARTON responded to Wright and CC-1, stating "don't forget I have $1m coming tomorrow from ticket investor[.] will need to be discussed how to handle."
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
