A former University of Minnesota ticketing director admitted to stealing $361,000 from the school’s athletic department this morning.
Brent Holck, 37, was charged with one count of wire fraud this past November. As of Friday, he pleaded guilty to the felony under an agreement with federal prosecutors. By choosing to plead guilty and take responsibility for the crime, rather than seeking a grand jury indictment, his sentencing range was reduced.
Holck can be fined between $15,000 and $150,000 and faces 33 to 41 months in prison, along with three years of supervised release. He was not required to post bail and will be out of custody on court-imposed conditions until his sentencing on May 6.
He admitted that while working at Gopher Athletics from April 2012 to January 2017, he would cancel sales to games after they had taken place and refund the money into his own account. Additionally, he issued tickets and parking passes to friends who would then sell the tickets and give a profit to him.
When these allegations came to light, Holck was fired in January 2017. The FBI began to investigate the case against him in June 2017, and during last winter, criminal activity was found during an audit. While working at the school, Holck was paid a salary of $94,003. His wife, Jessica, still works as the events director of Gopher Athletics.
