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NYPD Busts Scalper With Counterfeit Phish NYE Tickets
By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 18, 2019
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 18, 2019
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If you've ever attempted to purchase a concert ticket, then you are familiar with the cycle of despair that immediately follows—and maybe, probably, you've eventually come crawling to StubHub, Craigslist, or a scalper on the streets to gain entry into the show. And maybe, probably, you've eventually found that the ticket you traded cold hard cash for is a fake, and you've been duped. Sucker.
This week, one would-be scalper of Phish tickets for the band's semi-traditional New Year's run at Madison Square Garden was busted, thanks to a tip from a fan.
The 20th Precinct (turns out they're fans, too), posted on Facebook:
A huge buzzkill for Upper West Side residents is when they buy concert tickets on the secondary market only to discover they are fake when they reach the venue. In October, members of our Plainclothes Anti-Crime team worked with a victim of one such scam, and were able to arrest a middleman. Further investigation led us to 3340 Bailey Avenue in the Bronx, where 33 year-old Michael Pinero (below) was creating hundreds of fake tickets. Working with the Manhattan DA's Office, the below members of the 20th Precinct - Police Officer Sokrates, Detective Larosa, and Sergeant Perez - obtained a search warrant for Mr. Pinero's apartment. When they executed it last Friday, Mr. Pinero was caught red handed in the process of creating counterfeit Phish @ Madison Square Garden tickets. (C'mon, bro!) All of his computer equipment was seized, and he is currently being prosecuted by the Manhattan District Attorney.
As Phish fans ourselves, on behalf of Mr. Pinero's victims, we can think of nothing more appropriate than this:
"I can't track you anymore Detective work has sure become a bore So tell me what you did with it And stop this ****, give up yourself Before they come knockin'…"
That's a reference to "Poor Heart," off the band's 1992 studio album A Picture of Nectar, and last played live on December 1st of this year (Roggae > Poor Heart > Tube). Not quite a deep cut, but impressive for a Precinct. In honor of the snow squall, here's a live version of It's Ice > Poor Heart.
Tagged
counterfeit
nypd
phish
tickets
scalper
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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