St. Pete Man Charged In $1.8M Wire Fraud Scheme: U.S. Attorney

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A St. Petersburg man faces federal wire fraud charges in a venture to resell tickets to popular entertainment events, and may have to repay the federal government nearly $2 million if convicted.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for Middle Florida on Monday released details about the indictment filed against Thomas Coelho, 52, formerly Thomas Jurewicz. Coelho has been charged with two counts of wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Karin Hoppman said in a news release.

The indictment said the federal government is seeking a judgment of about $1.8 million, the proceeds of the wire fraud scheme. If convicted, Coelho could face up to 20 years in federal prison on each count.

Coelho recruited investors for a business opportunity that purportedly involved buying event tickets and reselling those tickets to third parties for a profit, according to the indictment. He is accused of using his connections in the entertainment industry to give the appearance of the means and ability to acquire tickets to certain high-profile events.

Instead of using investors' money to buy event tickets, investigators said Coelho used the money for cash withdrawals, entertainment and personal experiences.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.