Online Ticket Touts' "100% Profit"

David Rolls & Gary Agar

Three bogus online touts masterminded a multi-million pound scam that ripped-off music and sports fans who paid a fortune for non-existent tickets, a jury were told today.

During 2009 and 2010 Good Time Entertainments Ltd. sold thousands of tickets for concerts in london's Hyde Park featuring performers including Paul McCartney and Kings of Leon, plus expensive festival tickets for Scotland's T in the Park, featuring stars such as Jay Z, Kasabian and Stereophonics and the V festivals in Staffordshire and Essex.

They are: Andrew Lagan, 44, of Northcliffe Street, North Ormesby, Middlesbrough; Gary Agar, 44, of Victoria Road, South Ruislip and David Rolls, 48, of Westcott House, East India Dock Road, Poplar.

"The defendants operated Good Times Entertainments and through this company the defendants offered tickets for sale to members of the public over the internet for major sporting and entertainment events," prosecutor Mr. Toby Fitzgerald told the Harrow Crown Court jury.

"They did not provide these tickets to their customers, they did not intend to provide these tickets to their customers," explained Mr. Fitzgerald. "They deliberately attracted payment from members of the public and having taken their money from them they never provided the goods.

"They produced a one hundred per cent profit for themselves by never providing the tickets."

The court was told the credit and debit card payments, which were processed by First Data International and paid into the defendants Allied Irish bank account, were laundered through a Victoria money exchange called Link FX and the money sent to bank account in Budapest, Hungary and Thailand.

"Having received the money from their customers that money was credited by First Data International into a bank account controlled by these defendants," said Mr. Fitzgerald "That money, very swiftly, was removed from the bank account to ensure when the inevitable time of reckoning come the money had disappeared."

Explaining the scam the prosecutor explained: "These tickets scan be expensive if there is a great demand for them and a customer who has seen the company website could order these tickets online and provide payment details by either debit or credit card and payment was then processed through the defendants company.

"That effected the customers who never received tickets and effected the companies associated with the payments being processed."

First Data International provided a merchant terminal to Good Time Entertainment, which allowed credit and debit cards to be charged without the holder being present.

The defendants paid cheques, signed by Agar, to themselves via the money exchange.

"From there they have money paid out in cash to themselves and considerable sums are transferred to separate bank accounts, one in Budapest and one in Thailand.

"They are concerned they are going to get caught and want to get the money out of the country."

The jury were told Good Time Entertainment was established in June, 2003 by Agar and in November, 2006 Lagan became a director.

All three defendants have pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy to defraud and one count of money laundering.

Trial continues…………