Ten people, including three from Illinois, were charged in connection with a scheme to buy more than $1.7 million worth of event tickets with thousands of stolen credit card numbers.
Federal prosecutors said the defendants stole 3,800 credit card numbers, as well as the names and identifying information connected to those cards, and used the information to buy tickets to sporting and entertainment events across the U.S.
They would then allegedly scalp the tickets outside the event venues in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, California, Missouri, Utah, Nebraska, Florida, Texas and Maine.
The alleged conspirators were also accused of using the stolen credit card information to pay for travel.
Chicagoans Earl Rawls, 39; Danny Jones, 33 and Tyree Williams, 22 were charged along with seven other people from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas and Kentucky. They were all charged with conspiracy; several defendants, including Jones and Williams, were also charged with aggravated identity theft. Five others were charged with access device fraud.
The last of the arrests happened in Chicago the week of December 8, the statement said.