Last year, the pair proposed a phony deal to Brigade about buying millions of dollars worth of tickets for Adele, Justin Bieber, Barbra Streisand, Katy Perry, Roger Waters and Metallica concerts and selling them for profit on the secondary market. Carton lied and claimed he had links to the management for those artists, as well as concert promoters and venue operators whose signatures he forged, federal officials charged. ||||| What to Know Craig Carton, co-host of the popular sports radio show "Boomer & Carton" was arrested by the FBI in Manhattan early Wednesday 
 
 He was allegedly involved in a scam through which he and another man claimed to be running a discount ticket business that didn't exist 
 
 The 48-year-old Carton is accused of ripping investors off of a few million dollars; he is charged with securities and wire fraud 
 
 Craig Carton, co-host of WFAN's morning sports talk show "Boomer & Carton," has been arrested in connection with an alleged multimillion-dollar fake ticket scam, the gains from which he used in part to pay casino debt, officials say. 
 
 The FBI arrested Carton, 48, at his home in Manhattan early Wednesday. He was allegedly involved in an investment scam through which he, 41-year-old Michael Wright of New Jersey and an unnamed associate claimed to be running a discount ticket broker business that never existed. 
 
 Charges of securities fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit those crimes against Carton and Wright were unsealed Wednesday in Manhattan federal court. The two, along with the unnamed associate, allegedly ripped a few investors off of several million dollars. 
 
 Carton, who was not on the air Wednesday, and Wright appeared in federal court later Wednesday. Each was released on $500,000 bond. 
 
 'Boomer & Carton' Co-Host Arrested in Alleged Ticket Scam 
 
 Craig Carton, co-host of WFAN's morning sports talk radio show "Boomer & Carton," has been arrested on investment fraud-related counts, an official familiar with the case tells NBC 4 New York. (Published Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017) 
 
 Carton's lawyer, Robert C. Gottlieb, later said in a statement to News 4, "The government's allegations against Craig Carton demonstrate a gross misunderstanding of what happened. Craig is a victim who was deceived, manipulated and used by individuals seeking to gather assets for their own fraudulent schemes." 
 
 Boomer Esiason addressed the arrest of his WFAN co-host, saying, "I am now aware of why Craig was not here this morning. Unfortunately, he was arrested this morning." 
 
 Esiason said the station was cooperating with authorities and that he had little information for listeners. "I'm taken aback and surprised by it just like I'm sure everyone else is," he said. "There's nothing else I can say. I thought he called in sick this morning, but unfortunately my partner was arrested." 
 
 CBS Radio announced Wednesday night that Carton has been suspended from WFAN pending its own investigation. Phil Simms will co-host alongside Boomer Esiason Thursday, and future co-hosts will be announced as needed. 
 
 According to the complaint, Carton and the other defendants allegedly duped investors into giving them money, based on representations those funds would be used to purchase blocks of tickets to concerts that would then be re-sold on the secondary market. Carton and the unnamed associate purportedly had access to those ticket blocks based on two agreements: one Carton had with a company that operates two arenas in the New York metro area and one the associate had with a company that promotes live music and entertainment events. Neither of those agreements existed, according to officials. 
 
 Once they got the investors' funds, Carton, Wright and the associate used them to pay personal debts and repay prior investors as part of a Ponzi-like scheme, the complaint alleges. Carton allegedly wired money to several casinos. 
 
 The scheme dates back to the fall of 2016, when Carton, Wright and the associate exchanged emails and texts regarding their existing debts, according to the complaint. On one day, they discussed the debts by email. Wright listed eight options for repaying the debt, including "Run to Costa Rica, change name and start life all over again -- may not be an option," the complaint says. 
 
 Carton responded, saying, "Don't forget I have $1m coming tomorrow from ticket investor. will need to be discussed how to handle," the complaint says. 
 
 Later that fall, Carton began negotiating with a hedge fund regarding a transaction in which the fund would give Carton capital to finance the radio host's purchase of event tickets, which Carton would then re-sell at a profit, according to the complaint. In early December, the associate texted Carton and Wright about using the capital not to buy tickets, but "to repay debts," the complaint says. 
 
 The next day, Carton emailed the hedge fund five agreements between the associate, a company controlled by the associate and the concert promotion company. In each of the purported agreements, which prosecutors said were fraudulent, the concert promotion company agreed to sell the associate's company up to $10 million worth of tickets to different concert tours. The day after that, Carton and the hedge fund entered an agreement under which the fund would give Carton up to $10 million to be used to purchase the tickets. The fund would get a share of the profits from the resale, the complaint says. 
 
 Neither Carton nor a rep for him could immediately be reached for comment. WFAN is owned by CBS. CBS Radio said in a statement it was aware of the situation and cooperating with authorities. 
 
 Information on an attorney for Wright wasn't immediately available. 
 
 Federal prosecutors blasted the ill-gotten gains Wednesday. 
 
 "Their schemes were allegedly propped up by phony contracts with two companies to purchase blocks of concert tickets, when in fact, Carton and Wright had no deals to purchase any tickets at all," Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Joon Kim said in a statement. "As alleged, behind all the talk, the Wright and Carson show was just a sham, designed to fleece investors out of millions ultimately to be spent on payments to casinos and to pay off other personal debt." 
 
 The securities and wire fraud counts each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and fines ranging from $250,000 to $5 million. 
 
 In a related civil case, the Securities and Exchange Commission said Carton in mid-2016 solicited investments in ticket reselling enterprises after he accrued millions in gambling-related debts to casinos and other third parties. 
 
 The SEC said he provided fabricated and forged documents to investors, claiming access to large quantities of face-value tickets to upcoming concerts by artists including Adele, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Roger Waters, Metallica, and Barbra Streisand. 
 
 "In reality, no such agreements with the concert promoter or venue existed, and the signatures for the concert promoter or venue were forged," the SEC said. 
 
 The civil case against Carton is tied to Joseph Meli, a New York-based businessman who was separately charged earlier this year with operating a Ponzi scheme that cheated wealthy people who thought they were investing in ticket businesses for popular shows and concerts, including Broadway's "Hamilton." 
 
 In one instance, the SEC complaint alleges Carton provided an investor with documents referencing a purported agreement between a company controlled by Meli to purchase millions of dollars' worth of Adele concert tickets at face value directly from Adele's management company, even though there was no such agreement. 
 
 
 
 The SEC alleges Carton and Meli used new investor funds to repay earlier investors and other preexisting debts, including Carton's debts to casinos, rather than buying tickets, as promised to the investors. 
 
 Carton and Meli misappropriated at least $3.6 million from two investors, with Carton misappropriating an additional $2 million from one of those investors, according to the SEC's civil complaint, which references an email Carton wrote to Meli last year in which he said he had $2.5 million in outstanding debt due in 30 days after a casino froze his account. 
 
 Married and a father of four, Carton has co-hosted the popular sports talk show with Boomer Esiason since September 2007. He started his career in Buffalo in 1991, with stops along the way in Cleveland, Philadelphia and Denver. 
 
 He is also the founder of a charity for children with Tourette Syndrome called TicTocStop. Carton and two of his children have the condition. 
 
 Copyright Associated Press / NBC New York ||||| In the world of New York sports radio, Craig Carton is known as the quick-witted, unpredictable, top-rated co-host of a morning drive-time show that bounces from football to family life to sports betting. Federal prosecutors say he’s also a Ponzi schemer. 
 
 Carton was arrested at his Manhattan home Wednesday and charged with ripping off investors, including a New York hedge fund, of millions of dollars in an alleged scam that involved buying and selling tickets to concerts that included Adele, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber and Barbra Streisand. U.S. regulators said he used the money to pay off gambling debts. 
 
 The hedge fund, which was not named by prosecutors, was Brigade Capital Management, according to a person who spoke on condition of anonymity. Less than half of a $10 million credit facility provided by the fund had been tapped, the person said. The firm seized some of that and held some collateral, limiting potential losses, according to the person. Paul Scarpetta, a spokesman for Brigade at Sard Verbinnen & Co., declined to comment. 
 
 The arrest is the latest in a widening probe of alleged fraud in the ticket-resale industry. Carton, who has hosted the WFAN radio show with former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason since 2007, is the biggest name implicated to date. Esiason isn’t accused of wrongdoing. This winter, Carton’s and Esiason’s show ranked first in the New York area among men ages 25 to 53, according to Arbitron’s winter ratings book. 
 
 Entertainers and lawmakers have been scrutinizing the ticket-reselling industry, a lightly regulated world where consumers are often scammed or misled. Last year, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman finished a three-year probe into concert and sports ticket resellers, promising to better protect consumers. Artists, including Bruce Springsteen, now use more rigorous verification methods to ensure that fans, not brokers, are able to purchase access to their shows. Many sports teams also limit access to their tickets. 
 
 Carton’s accomplice in the ticket-resale scam was Michael Wright, 41, of Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, according to a criminal complaint filed in Manhattan federal court. Wright’s the chief operating officer of S Group NYC, which operates the Sapphire strip clubs in Manhattan. The complaint also refers to a co-conspirator who isn’t named. 
 
 The Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday also sued Carton and New York-based businessman Joseph Meli, 43, claiming he was involved in the fraud. That lawsuit also refers to an accomplice who was involved but not identified by the SEC. Meli was charged by prosecutors in January in a separate ticket-reselling fraud. He denies wrongdoing. 
 
 Mounting Debts 
 
 According to the government, the radio jock and the strip club operator were worried about their mounting debts in mid-2016, with Carton complaining that he owed about $2.5 million and a casino had frozen his account. 
 
 Around Sept. 2 of last year, the co-conspirator suggested the three get together and agree on a plan “to clean up the debt,” according to a text message cited by prosecutors. Wright sent a Sept. 5 email that listed eight ideas for paying off the debt, but noted that: “Run to Costa Rica, change name, and start life all over again -- may not be an option.” 
 
 Instead, the group ramped up a ticket-reselling scheme, for which Carton and the co-conspirator had already taken in $1 million from an individual investor, according to the complaint. “I would vote to bring in $$$ today to wipe out the debt that’s due and to extend it to sell tickets,” Carton emailed Wright and the co-conspirator on Sept. 7. 
 
 By December, Carton had an agreement from the hedge fund to provide $10 million in revolving credit to buy tickets. Carton provided fake documents, including contracts with a concert promoter for millions of dollars in tickets, and a phony email in which a sports and entertainment company agreed to sell $2 million of tickets to concerts, according to prosecutors. 
 
 Carton and Wright are charged with conspiracy, wire fraud and securities fraud. The fraud charges carry a maximum of 20 years in prison. Both men appeared in court Wednesday, dressed in shorts and t-shirts, and were released on $500,000 bond. Neither man nor their lawyers, responded to requests for comment outside court. 
 
 Ticket Sales 
 
 In an August interview with Newsday, Esiason said Carton’s personality drove their show. 
 
 "Let him drive the narrative when it’s negative or when it goes into any sort of impersonation, and let’s play off of what he does, because he’s very talented that way," Esiason told the newspaper. "I know he has got other issues, but the other issues are what make him who he is. 
 
 "He has ADD. He has a touch of Tourette’s. He has restless leg syndrome, partially photographic memory. He can’t sleep. That is what makes him the radio star that he is . . . Like any quarterback would on a football field, you recognize what people do well and try to get them the ball in that situation." 
 
 Carton, who titled his memoir “Loudmouth,” and Esiason replaced Don Imus’s morning show on WFAN on Sept. 4, 2007 after Imus lost his job for making a comment viewed as racist and sexist. Their “Boomer and Carton in the Morning” show has won praise from the likes of Jon Stewart and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who auditioned to host a WFAN show. Christie has said he’s no longer pursuing the job. 
 
 Partner Arrested 
 
 This morning, Esiason spoke to Carton’s arrest, according to the New York Post. “I thought he called in sick this morning, but unfortunately my partner was arrested,” Esiason told listeners. “I guess there’ll be more news to come from somewhere, but it won’t come from me because I don’t have any.” 
 
 “We are aware of the situation and are cooperating with authorities,” WFAN spokeswoman Jaime Saberito said in an emailed statement. 
 
 Meli was charged over the resale of tickets to the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton.” Since then, prosecutors have expanded the case and now claim that he and another man, Steven Simmons, used a hedge fund, Sentinel Growth Fund Management, to scam millions of dollars from investors. A third man, Mark Varacchi, has pleaded guilty to fraud. 
 
 Several big names -- including billionaires Paul Tudor Jones and Michael Dell, as well as an executive at Och-Ziff Capital Management Group -- were among the more than 125 people who had unwittingly poured cash into the Hamilton scam, according to people with knowledge of the matter. 
 
 The SEC case is U.S. v Carton, 17-cv-6764, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan). 
 
 — With assistance by Eben Novy-Williams
– “I thought he called in sick this morning, but unfortunately my partner was arrested,” former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason told listeners of WFAN's Boomer & Carton show Wednesday. The New York Daily News reports New York morning show host Craig Carton was arrested Wednesday and charged with securities fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy for allegedly scamming investors out of $5.6 million to pay off gambling debts. According to court filings, Carton had racked up millions in losses at two casinos and owed $825,000 to an unidentified person. In an email exchange released by the court, an accomplice suggested Carton could flee to Costa Rica or change his identity and start a new life to escape his debt, Bloomberg reports. Instead, Carton allegedly started a fake ticket reselling business. He allegedly told investors he would use their money to buy blocks of tickets for major music events through agreements with promoters and venues then resell those tickets, NBC New York reports. But: "Carton ... had no deals to purchase any tickets at all," US Attorney Joon Kim says. Kim says Carton was actually running "a sham, designed to fleece investors out of millions." Carton's alleged operation is described by authorities as "Ponzi-like." Carton, who has been co-hosting Boomer & Carton for a decade and reportedly earns $250,000 a year, is facing up to 45 years in jail and millions in fines. He's also facing a civil suit for fraud by the Securities and Exchange Commission.