Between June 2022 and July 2023, a cybercrime operation led by Tyrone Rose, 20, from Kingston, Jamaica, and Shamara Simmons, 31, from Queens, New York, resulted in the theft and resale of nearly 1,000 tickets to high-profile events, including Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, Adele and Ed Sheeran concerts, NBA games, and the U.S. Open Tennis Championships. The scheme generated approximately $635,000 in illicit profits.
Rose, employed by Sutherland, a third-party contractor for StubHub, exploited his position to intercept URLs of already-purchased tickets. He redirected these URLs to associates in Queens, where Simmons and another accomplice downloaded and resold the tickets on StubHub.
Upon discovering the fraud, StubHub reported the incident to authorities, refunded or replaced affected orders, and enhanced security measures to prevent future breaches.
Rose and Simmons face charges of grand larceny, computer tampering, and conspiracy, with potential sentences of up to 15 years if convicted. Both have been released without bail and are scheduled to appear in court on March 7.
This case underscores the vulnerabilities in digital ticketing systems and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to protect consumers and businesses alike.
