Cyber crooks busted in NYC for stealing, reselling nearly 1K tickets, including screwing Swifties out of Eras Tour tickets
Share and Follow

Two individuals are being charged with potentially spending a long time in prison for reportedly scamming close to 1,000 concert tickets, with a majority of them being for Taylor Swift’s highly popular tour, according to prosecutors who made the announcement on Monday.

Tyrone Rose, 20, of Kingston, Jamaica, and Shamara P. Simmons, 31, of Jamaica, Queens, were both busted in Queens over the resale scam of Swifties that raked in $635,000 between June 2022 and July 2023, according to the Queens DA’s Office. 

Aside from a bulk of tickets previously purchased by adoring fans hoping to lay eyes on the pop icon – whose worldwide Eras Tour will go down in history as the highest-grossing of all time – the crew also allegedly targeted Adele and Ed Sheeran concerts, NBA games and tennis’ US Open, officials said. 

“According to the charges, these defendants tried to use the popularity of Taylor Swift’s concert tour and other high-profile events to profit at the expense of others,” Queens DA Melinda Katz said in a statement. “They allegedly exploited a loophole … to steal tickets to the biggest concert tour of the last decade.”

Rose was working for a third-party StubHub contractor in Kingston, when he and another at-large suspect allegedly intercepted about 350 StubHub orders – amounting to 993 tickets, prosecutors said. 

The thieving duo allegedly used their access to StubHub’s computer system to weasel their way into a secure area for tickets that were already sold and emailed to the buyer to download, the DA’s Office said.

They emailed those links to Simmons, and another Queens resident who is now deceased, prosecutors said.

The Queens pair then posted the tickets on StubHub and resold them for profit, according to the DA’s office. 

Rose and Simmons were both arrested and arraigned Thursday on charges of grand larceny, computer tampering and conspiracy, the DA’s office said. 

None of those charges are bail-eligible under state law – so Criminal Court Judge Anthony Battisti released the pair and ordered them to return to court on March 7. 

Rose, who was visiting the Big Apple when he was arrested, was ordered to surrender his passport.

Both could each spend between 3 and 15 years in prison if convicted on the top count.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Israel's strikes damaged Iranian deterrence in the region, former IDF official says

Ex-Mossad Chief Reveals Success of Iran Nuclear Warehouse Raid, Applauds Trump’s Role in ‘Obliterating’ Atomic Sites

EXCLUSIVE: Yossi Cohen, the former chief of Mossad, has revealed that a…
Desperate homeowners spend $400K to save properties from the sea

Homeowners Invest $400K to Protect Coastal Homes from Rising Seas

In Buxton, North Carolina, the relentless Atlantic Ocean claimed five more oceanfront…
Indiana woman faces 36 charges related to identity fraud

Indiana Woman Charged with 36 Counts of Identity Fraud in Major Criminal Case

A woman from Indiana is now confronting over 30 charges as a…
Panic sets in for New Yorkers as SNAP benefits dry up

New Yorkers Face Crisis as SNAP Benefits Dwindle: Urgent Call for Support

As New Yorkers braced for the second month of a government shutdown,…
Dodgers' World Series win cements them as a historic dynasty

Dodgers Secure World Series Victory, Solidifying Their Status as a Historic Dynasty

TORONTO — The Dodgers have cemented their place in baseball lore, achieving…
Daylight saving time: When do clocks fall back in 2025?

Daylight Saving Time 2023: When to Set Clocks Back for the Fall Time Change

The semi-annual ritual of changing the clocks is just around the corner…
Blue Jays fans distraught after dramatic World Series loss to Dodgers

Heartbreak for Blue Jays Fans as Dodgers Clinch World Series Victory

Toronto Blue Jays supporters were left heartbroken on Saturday night as their…
‘It’s scary’: SNAP recipients brace for fallout as benefits vanish during shutdown

SNAP Recipients Face Uncertainty as Benefits Disappear Amid Government Shutdown

SPRINGFIELD, IL – As the federal government shutdown stretches into its second…