A ticket tout is ordered to pay £300,000 or face two years in prison.
The Premier League and its clubs have been cooperating with the Metropolitan Police to help catch a major ticket tout.
Patrick Corpe, an unemployed man from Enfield, pleaded guilty to the unauthorised sale of tickets for Barclays Premier League football matches and has been ordered to pay £301,077.51 at a Confiscation Hearing at Wood Green Crown Court. Failure to repay this will result in two years imprisonment.
This was the amout of money a judge ruled that Corpe must pay as a result of his criminal activity.
The investigation that led to his conviction was fronted by officers from Enfield's Payback Unit who were in regular contact with the Premier League's legal department.
Clear warning
On 16th October 2008, Corpe was charged with two counts of Money Laundering in relation to the vast wealth he had amassed from ticket touting and subsequently pleaded guilty at Wood Green Crown Court on 16th September 2009.
He received 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years and was ordered to perform 300 hours of unpaid work.
A Premier League spokesman said: "This ruling sends out a clear message that ticket touts will not be tolerated and that the authorities will not sit back and allow fans to be ripped off by criminals.
"The Premier League will continue to monitor the internet for the illegal trading of tickets and we and our clubs will continue to work with the police and other appropriate bodies to stamp touting out of the game."
DS Angus Naismith of the Payback Unit said: "Corpe, who was unemployed, was living a luxurious lifestyle from his illegitimate dealings. Since the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 was introduced we have increasingly been able to seize the value of assets acquired as a result of criminal activity.
"The latest confiscation order should send out a clear warning to criminals that crime in any form does not pay and that whatever your lifestyle, we will pursue you through the criminal courts and take it all away."
Copyright 2008 EPFL
All rights reserved
In line with the objective of promoting knowledge sharing and facilitating the exchange of information between Members and Associate Members and relevant stakeholders, the EPFL launched a Cycle of Conferences on “The Future of professional Football in Europe”.
These Conferences provide an excellent platform for updates about the value of football...More >
