Worker stole $3.3 million worth of US Open golf tickets to sell to brokers, feds say

A former employee of the United States Golf Association is going to prison after officials say he stole more than $3.3 million worth of U.S. Open golf tickets to illegally sell to ticket brokers.

Authorities say Robert Fryer, 40, sold the stolen tickets from 2013 through 2019 — and that he would have continued the scheme into 2020 if not for the fact that there would not be fans at the tournament amid the pandemic.

Fryer, of Perkasie, Pennsylvania, managed to steal the tickets by exploiting a weakness in the USGA’s ticket tracking process, according to a May 11 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

After realizing he could steal the tickets “without the knowledge of the USGA,” authorities say he stole thousands of tickets instead of informing his employer of the security flaw. He had access to the tickets at USGA headquarters in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, according to court records.

Now, after pleading guilty, Fryer has been sentenced to a year and two months in prison and three years of supervised release, according to the news release. He has also been ordered to pay $3,364,622 in restitution to his employer and forfeit $1,150,000 in illegal profits.

His defense attorney, Robert Goldman, told McClatchy News in a written statement that this is a “tragic story of a man driven by a gambling addiction.”

“Once the FBI reached out to him, he immediately acknowledged what he did, and cooperated with the government and the USGA,” Goldman said. “He also immediately immersed himself in efforts to rid himself of his addiction through attending, on a regular basis, Gamblers Anonymous meetings and a church-based addiction program.”

Goldman says Fryer’s goal is to heal himself and his family relationships as he receives support from Gamblers Anonymous, friends and family .

“From the beginning, the USGA has been both appreciative and supportive of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in its efforts to seek justice for all involved in this matter,” USGA spokesperson Beth Major said in a statement to McClatchy News.

Fryer’s sentencing follows the sentencing of the two Philadelphia-area ticket brokers authorities say bought thousands of tickets from Fryer for nearly $1.2 million, officials said. They were both accused of being involved in the conspiracy to steal and sell the tickets for a profit.

“This defendant stole revenue from an American institution and legitimate business that pays taxes, employs many, supports a non-profit organization, and brings excitement and income to our district with U.S. Open events at courses like the Merion Golf Club,” U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams said in a news release.

“Criminals that conduct ticket schemes like this prey on the excitement surrounding big events,” she continued. “Fans should remember that any item with a low price that seems ‘too good to be true’ should be cause for caution and concern.”

This story was originally published May 12, 2022 at 10:58 AM with the headline "Worker stole $3.3 million worth of US Open golf tickets to sell to brokers, feds say."