The wife of concert promoter Joseph Meli, who was just sentenced to prison for participating in a multi million-dollar Ponzi ticket scheme, now owes over $4 million in investor funds.
Joseph was sentenced to 78 months in prison earlier this year after pleading guilty for for his involvement in the scheme and stealing more than $100 million from investors. He was ordered to forfeit $104 million, including a home in East Hampton, New York, as well as over $56 million in restitution.
His wife, Jessica, was named the relief defendant in his case, and since she used $3 million of these stolen funds to buy a house, she is now ordered to pay $4 million. However, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Meli’s house, which was bought under Jessica’s name, will be forfeited in Joseph’s criminal case. Therefore, the SEC said about $3.2 million will be deemed satisfactory, leaving Jessica obligated to pay around $840,000.
Joseph is also involved in a lawsuit with the former radio host Craig Carton for stealing millions of dollars and lying to investors that they had access to large amounts of concert tickets. While SEC’s litigation against Meli is still pending, Carton was recently found guilty on all counts in the fraud trial and could face up to 45 years in prison.
