Former CEO of Ticket Plus
is facing theft chargesThe case involves
NFL Pro Bowl tickets
The former chief executive officer of Ticket Plus Inc. has been charged with first-degree theft stemming from more than half a million dollars the company allegedly owes the National Football League.
CLARIFICATION
Wednesday, July 7, 2004Manuel Sanchez, former chief executive officer of Ticket Plus who is facing theft charges, was kept on as general manager when Los Angeles-based Ticketmaster acquired Ticket Plus in March 2003. Sanchez left Ticketmaster in June 2003. A Page A5 article in the July 2 early edition did not indicate that he is no longer with Ticketmaster.
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Manuel A. Sanchez is named in a complaint filed Wednesday in Circuit Court alleging he intentionally obtained the property of the NFL in an amount exceeding $20,000 between November 2002 and August 2003 by failing to make required payments.
Sanchez and his wife, Michelle Sanchez, secretary-treasurer of Ticket Plus Inc., and Ticket Plus were sued by the NFL in September seeking $558,000 in sales and sponsorship money from the 2003 Pro Bowl.
Ticket Plus had entered into a contract with the NFL effective November 2001 to provide ticketing services for the NFL Pro Bowl.
The lawsuit claimed that Sanchez broke the contract by failing to come up with $474,604 for Pro Bowl tickets sold by the ticket company and a $100,000 event sponsorship fee.
Sanchez made one payment of $100,000 in August but failed to come up with the rest.
Sanchez agreed with every allegation in the complaint and to a judgment of $558,068, including interest and fees, against Ticket Plus Inc., Ticket Plus Hawaii and himself, but he has yet to pay any money, said local attorney John Komeiji, who represents the National Football League. A suit is still pending against Michelle Sanchez.
Los Angeles-based Ticketmaster, the worldwide ticketing agency, purchased Ticket Plus Inc. in March last year but kept Sanchez on as general manager of the company's Hawaii operations.
Sanchez is expected to be arraigned Thursday. He could not be reached for comment.
