California Resident Sentenced for Nationwide Ticket Scam, Defrauding Texas A&M Football Game
A 49-year-old California resident, Derrick Langford, has been sentenced for orchestrating a ticket scam across the United States, including a Texas A&M football game, as announced by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Langford pleaded guilty on August 24, 2023, and U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge has ordered him to serve 24 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release.
During his plea, Langford confessed to using email to acquire stolen credit card information from victims across the U.S. He utilized this data and false identities to purchase tickets for various events, including sporting events, concerts, and entertainment venues nationwide. The tickets were then resold on internet-based resale sites such as Ticket Liquidator.
One notable event linked to Langford was the Texas A&M football game against Clemson on September 8, 2018. Langford admitted to creating false buyer accounts and using stolen credit card numbers to purchase tickets for the game. Subsequently, he resold the fraudulently obtained tickets on resale sites to unsuspecting buyers.
Texas A&M identified the fraud and invalidated the tickets, leading to a 100% loss for the university on the fraudulent tickets that had already been sold to unsuspecting buyers.
Throughout the scheme, Langford obtained stolen credit card information and personal identifying details of more than 75 victims through one of his email accounts.
Langford has been allowed to remain on bond and will voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility, the location of which will be determined in the near future.
“For years, Langford engaged in a multi-level fraud,” said Hamdani. “In doing so, he victimized identity theft victims, unsuspecting internet buyers and, ultimately, the venues, from football stadiums to music arenas, who bore the monetary loss. But the perceived anonymity of the internet did not protect him. His scheme unraveled thanks to the efforts of the 12th Man Foundation at Texas A&M University.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas A&M University Police Department.
