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5 males have been sentenced on Wednesday for his or her involving in a large-scale rip-off over tickets to Liverpool video games at Anfield, together with two former membership workers.
James Johnson, 34, and Louis James, 37, have been working on the membership’s ticket workplace whereas concerned in large-scale ticket fraud.
They have been sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court docket on Wednesday together with co-conspirators Liam Rice, 35, Lee Smith, 38, and Joseph Johnson, 42.
Right now, 5 males have been sentenced to a complete of 12 and a half years in jail for large-scale ticket fraud, following an in depth Merseyside Police investigation.
The lads have been sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court docket at the moment, after pleading responsible to the fees. They’re:
– Joseph… pic.twitter.com/D0w9ZNLrQL
— Merseyside Police (@MerseyPolice) December 17, 2025
As relayed by Merseyside Police on X, the lads pleaded responsible and have been sentenced to:
• Joseph Johnson: 4 years and 6 months in jail for conspiracy to commit fraud by abuse of place; conspiracy to commit fraud by false illustration; and conspiracy to promote tickets fraudulently.
• Louis James: Two years and 4 months in jail for conspiracy to commit fraud by abuse of place; conspiracy to commit fraud by false illustration; and conspiracy to promote tickets fraudulently.
• Liam Rice: Two years and 10 months in jail for conspiracy to promote tickets fraudulently.
• Lee Smith: Two years and 10 months in jail for conspiracy to commit fraud by abuse of place; and conspiracy to promote tickets fraudulently.
• James Johnson: 21 months suspended for conspiracy to commit fraud by abuse of place; and conspiracy to promote tickets fraudulently.
BBC Information studies that the group “dishonestly acquired tickets for Liverpool video games and offered them at inflated costs utilizing secondary ticket web sites, earlier than creating their very own referred to as Seatfinder UK.”
“One among their ways,” the report provides “was promoting reasonably priced tickets meant for native followers for something as much as £1,000.”
Tickets reserved for native followers, positioned within the higher Major Stand, are presently offered for £9.
Seatfinder UK was registered in Dubai however ran from a rented workplace in Kirkby. The operation started in 2015 and expanded past Liverpool to different Premier League fixtures.
It included the creation of over 1,000 pretend memberships to acquire tickets earlier than reselling them via unofficial channels at a major markup.
James and Johnson have been sacked from their jobs in Liverpool’s ticket workplace however their fraud continued, with estimations that the group made upwards of £1 million.
James’ defence, Damian Nolan, claimed: “Senior gamers within the first-team squad have been equally energetic on this market as anybody and that was occurring proper below the membership’s nostril.
“Liverpool can’t declare to be broken right here as a result of they tolerated the identical behaviour from gamers and workers.
“The membership need to management the secondary ticket market – that’s what this case is about.”
Merseyside Police have reminded supporters of the danger of shopping for from unofficial sellers, urging these wishing to attend fixtures at Anfield to buy tickets from Liverpool’s official web site.
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