New York man sentenced to prison for sports ticket scam that targeted Wisconsin residents

(WFRV) – A man from New York was sentenced to prison for defrauding Wisconsin residents in a sports ticket scam.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice announced that 28-year-old Nikhil Mahtani was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for wire fraud. Mahtani was accused of offering high-end tickets and luxury box suites to sporting events around the country.

According to court documents, between 2019 and 2022 Mahtani placed over 1,000 ads on Craigslist offering high-end tickets and luxury box suites. These alleged ‘tickets’ included NFL, NBA and other professional sporting events around the country.

Officials say that Mahtani victimized multiple people throughout Wisconsin. He allegedly received thousands of dollars in payments for the tickets and suites he knew were not real.

The release says that in one instance, a large group showed up at Fiserv Forum for an NBA Finals game in 2021 and were told they were scammed.

Mahtani is believed to have gotten an estimated $120,000 from over 100 victims in Wisconsin and across the United States. He will spend 15 months in prison and was ordered to pay $88,000 in restitution to the victims.

Additionally, he will spend three years on supervised release.

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

No additional information was provided.