The popular Chicago ticket scalper known as “Tommy’s Tickets” has been jailed following multiple accounts of deceptive broker practices, taking between $600 and $31,000 from buyers.
Tommy Ryan, who was arrest and jailed in St. John’s County, Florida on an Illinois warrant, is currently fighting an extradition to Illinois. Prosecutors of Will County are asking Governor JB Pritzker for a “governors warrant” to bring him back to the state and face three felony counts of “continuing a financial crimes enterprise,” ABC Chicago reports. Ryan reportedly deceived three people over an eighteen month period, two of Cook County.
One victim, Heather Underwood, said that she quick-paid Ryan but was only left with “all these broken promises.” She lost $400 after paying Ryan for J. Cole concert tickets, but earlier this week, Ryan repaid her via electronic payment. Underwood wasn’t alone; the I-Team received five other claims after hearing Underwood’s report. Customers claimed they paid Ryan for tickets to plays, concerts, and sporting events but were never delivered tickets.
ABC reported earlier this year that Ryan was scamming potential customers. Crystal Smith, a resident of Lakeview, paid Ryan nearly $800 through QuickPay for tickets of A Christmas Carol at The Goodman Theatre.
“He said ‘Don’t worry, you know I got you. I’m Tommy Tickets, baby,'” she said, noting that he was going to meet her at her work, but never showed. “It was very disappointing and I kept calling him, texting him. He wasn’t answering.”
Another customer, Phyllis Bucaro, filed a report after she paid Ryan almost $4,000 for 16 Cubs tickets which she never received, calling the experience “emotional,” as she lost so much money.
Ryan is slated to face a judge in Will County if he is extradited from Florida.