SOMERVILLE, Mass. — A Somerville man will face a judge Monday, charged with a FIFA World Cup ticket scam.
The Middlesex District Attorney said the man used his Patriots season ticket status to claim he could get people the tickets but never delivered.
50-year-old Robert Whelan is charged with larceny over $250 by false pretense, forgery of a document, and uttering a false instrument.
The DA said $14,000 was accepted in return for promised World Cup tickets that were never provided.
According to the District Attorney’s office, Whelan claimed he had priority access and the ability to make group ticket purchases to the World Cup through his regular season ticket contact as a season ticket holder.
After receiving money from the victims, the DA said Whelan created fake email confirmations, but those victims never got tickets or their money back.
The District Attorney said Whelan took it a step further when he faced pressure from the victims.
He told them he was withdrawing $157,000 from his pension fund to repay them and then created a fake email from the president of the pension board, appearing to show the withdrawal was approved, according to the DA.
The district attorneys’ office has not specified how many victims are impacted.
Whelan is expected to appear in Somerville District Court on Monday.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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