MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins may have pulled off a thrilling victory versus the Dallas Cowboys on Christmas Eve, but Miami-Dade police say a trio’s scheme to sell fake tickets to that day’s game ended in defeat.
A ticket taker at Hard Rock Stadium was in on it all, according to police.
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According to an arrest report, detectives were made aware of a group advertising general admission and suite tickets on the platform OfferUp.
Police said undercover detectives used the platform to buy suite tickets from Marcanthony Verna, 27, of Miami Gardens.
The arrest report states that upon meeting up, Verna introduced them to an accomplice, Michael Andre Castro, 31, of Pembroke Pines.
According to police, Castro then walked the detectives to a ticket taker, 34-year-old Shamarus Polycarpe, of Miami Gardens.
The report states that Castro “pretend(ed) to scan fake tickets on his phone” and Polycarpe allowed the undercover officers in.
Police arrested all three. The arrest report states Polycarpe made a confession to detectives, which was redacted from the report.
Authorities said they were later made aware of two victims who paid Castro $500 in exchange for two tickets in the stadium’s Club Level.
Castro and Polycarpe each face 16 counts of grand theft and 16 counts of organized scheme to defraud, along with one count of unlawful use of a communications device.
Meanwhile, Verna faces five counts of each of those charges.
None of the men were listed in Miami-Dade jail records as of Tuesday morning.