A Georgia man has been arraigned on federal charges of wire fraud after allegedly scamming real estate investors on a phony Costa Rican property deal and defrauding college football fans seeking tickets for University of Georgia (UGA) games.
According to the charges brought against him, Matthew Neet of Alpharetta Neet defrauded investors by pitching investments in teak and timberland property in Costa Rica, although no such property existed. He also falsely offered to sell UGA football tickets for games against the Universities of Alabama, Texas, and Mississippi.
Two dozen individuals paid Neet approximately $943,000 for the real estate investment opportunities and the college football tickets. Neet, who allegedly used the money for his own purposes, waived indictment and agreed to proceed by criminal information on Dec. 19.
Paul Brown, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta, stated, “We urge fans and investors alike to be vigilant and verify the legitimacy of any offers they receive, particularly when large sums of money are at stake.”
