Masters ticket scheme: Family members from Texas plead guilty, pay $275K in restitution

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[FONT=&quot]Four members of a Texas family who were accused of running an elaborate Masters ticket scheme are pleading guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and have agreed to pay more than $275,000 in community restitution, the U.S. Attorney's office announced Monday.

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[FONT=&quot]Stephen Michael Freeman, a former high school physics teacher from Katy, Texas, pleaded guilty to the charge in U.S. District Court in Augusta, according to Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Freeman agreed to a sentence of 36 months in federal prison and has paid $157,493.70 in community restitution. At sentencing, the court may accept or reject the plea agreement.

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[FONT=&quot]The FBI investigated the case that was first reported in late April after the Masters.

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[FONT=&quot]Freeman's parents, Steven Lee Freeman and Diane Freeman, and sister, Christine Oliverson, also entered guilty pleas. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

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[FONT=&quot]Steven Lee Freeman and Diane Freeman agreed to pay community restitution of $59,000 each, and with Christine Oliverson, are subject to sentencing by the court.

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[FONT=&quot]Prosecutors say Stephen Michael Freeman, his mother, father and sister gamed the ticket application system by conspiring to commit mail fraud and wire fraud from 2013 through 2017 by creating false user accounts to purchase Masters tickets. The four are accused of using names and addresses they obtained from a purchased bulk mailing list to register online with Augusta National Incorporated. None of the people whose identities were used gave permission or had knowledge of the scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

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[FONT=&quot]The Freemans mailed and faxed letters to ANI in efforts to change addresses originally registered to the fraudulent accounts, prosecutors say. Stephen Michael Freeman, Diane Freeman and Oliverson are accused of creating fake driver licenses, fake utility bills and false credit card statements. They then resold the tickets for a "substantial profit."

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[FONT=&quot]A news release on Monday called the community restitution "unprecedented in the Southern District of Georgia, and recognizes that the defendants are returning the proceeds of their crime. The funds from community restitution are dispersed under federal guidelines to qualifying non-profit organizations."

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[FONT=&quot]"These profiteering con artists thought they had succeeded in hijacking the Augusta National's generous ticket lottery system to satisfy their own greed," said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. "The vigilance of the Augusta National staff and the investigative acumen of the FBI ferreted out the fraud, ensuring justice is served to these cheats for the federal crimes they committed."[/FONT]
 

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These SOB's owe me too, then! LOL I've been trying to get tickets again in their hustle time frame, and who knows, they could've been getting the one that took my spot in the draw...
 
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These SOB's owe me too, then! LOL I've been trying to get tickets again in their hustle time frame, and who knows, they could've been getting the one that took my spot in the draw...


you would never think somebody would come up with a scam like this
 

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I want to start entering the masters “lottery” and put my name in for any round and any practice rounds. Never applied before. The way I understand it is if I get selected I would get one ticket on one of the 4 rounds. My dream is to take my mother to the masters she is 67 I’m 39. So if we both put our names in the lottery best case scenario is one of us gets one ticket. We both want to go together but I don’t want to have to pay an extraordinary amount of money for that second ticket if one of us wins the lottery that is only $115 for the one ticket. Any ideas? I’m not super cheap by any means and expect so pay several thousand to go but what if one ticket is super cheap and one other wants to go as well? Anyone been or can recommend a service that’s reputable. Thanks for any info.
 

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I want to start entering the masters “lottery” and put my name in for any round and any practice rounds. Never applied before.

I applied for the first time two years ago. And won tickets to Friday. It's 2 tickets if you get a Thur-Sun ticket. 4 if you get practice round tix. From everything I hear, it's pretty rare. Got pretty lucky.

Didn't hit anything this past year. Crossing my fingers with this recent entry for next year...
 

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I won a practice round ticket a few years ago and I got real lucky. The weather was one of the best they had for a practice round. Sunny, not a cloud in the sky and the temperature was moderate. It is easy to get burned because it always seems they have thunderstorms there the week of the Masters. Your time on the course can be curtailed, even cancelled. If a practice round is cancelled you get a ticket for the following year but your not getting reimbursed for your flight if you fly in there or your motel room.
 

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I can’t think of anything more boring than to watch men play golf. That’s just me though.
 

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I want to start entering the masters “lottery” and put my name in for any round and any practice rounds. Never applied before. The way I understand it is if I get selected I would get one ticket on one of the 4 rounds. My dream is to take my mother to the masters she is 67 I’m 39. So if we both put our names in the lottery best case scenario is one of us gets one ticket. We both want to go together but I don’t want to have to pay an extraordinary amount of money for that second ticket if one of us wins the lottery that is only $115 for the one ticket. Any ideas? I’m not super cheap by any means and expect so pay several thousand to go but what if one ticket is super cheap and one other wants to go as well? Anyone been or can recommend a service that’s reputable. Thanks for any info.

This isn’t true, you can get 2-4 tickets.
 

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I had a buddy that got tix to one of the practice rounds through the drawing. It was a bucket list type of thing for him to go there. It would be for me too. I have been in the lottery the last few years but no luck.
 

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Been in the lottery but never got lucky yet now I might have a very slim chance
 

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Thanks for the info guys the masters website wasn’t very clear on how many tickets you get if you are selected. Gonna start entering next drawing!
 

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Nice

Now do a CKid and post a picture of the parking lot as proof you were at the Sunday evening closeout event :)

Haha. I didn't go. Gave them to the buddy (at cost plus but he hooked me up with some parlays in Vegas on top) who gave me the idea to put in for them. He had been trying for years and never won more than practice round tix.
 

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