Jeff Thurn, a former Sioux Falls sports radio host, was sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for orchestrating a fraudulent ticket reselling scheme.
Thurn, 39, of Hartford, South Dakota, must also pay $5.1 million in restitution to victims.
Operating under the fictitious business “Backstage Tickets” between 2015 and 2022, Thurn misled investors into believing he would use their funds to purchase and resell event tickets for profit.
To sustain the scheme, he fabricated receipts for fake ticket sales. Instead of fulfilling his promises, Thurn diverted the funds for personal use, including gambling and cryptocurrency trading.
The case, investigated by the FBI Miami Field Office, was prosecuted in the Southern District of Florida.
Thurn left his ESPN radio position in early 2023 before pleading guilty to wire fraud charges.