New York man sentenced for cheating Wisconsin fans on sports tickets

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – A New York City resident was sentenced to 15 months in prison by the federal court in Green Bay for cheating Wisconsin sports fans.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office says from January 2019 through December 2022, Nikhil Mahtani, 28, placed ads on Craigslist promising high-end tickets and luxury box suites for NFL and NBA games and other professional sporting events.

Prosecutors estimate he received about $120,000 from more than 100 victims in Wisconsin and elsewhere. Prosecutors point to one instance where a large group of friends and family learned they were scammed after showing up at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee for the 2021 NBA Championship and being turned away. The Bucks won the championship that night.

Mahtani asked for probation instead of prison, but U.S. District Judge William Griesbach said this was not a “crime of impulse” but a “systematic victimization” of sports fans.

Mahtani will also have to pay $88,000 in restitution to his victims.

The case was investigated by the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, New York Police Department Financial Crimes Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations.

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