Five people sentenced for Liverpool FC ticket scam

Five people have been sentenced for a far-reaching fraud involving tickets for Liverpool Football Club matches.

Louis James, 37, of Lapford Crescent, Kirkby, Joseph Johnson, 42, of Chelford Road, Eccleston, Liam Rice, 36, of Roughwood Drive, Kirkby, Lee Smith, 38, of Winmoss Drive, Kirkby, and James Johnson, 34, of Westcombe Road, Anfield worked together to dishonestly obtain as many LFC tickets as possible to resell at much higher prices.

They used online secondary websites such as Viagogo, Stubhub and Ticketbis, to sell the tickets, none of which were authorised by LFC. As time went on the fraud was extended beyond LFC Club to other Premier League football clubs.

Joseph Johnson devised a “team” which consisted of a close-knit group of his close friends. Louis James and James Johnson worked in the LFC ticket office and Joseph Johnson relied on their knowledge and their ability to access the system.

He enlisted the help of others, including friends, Lee Henry Smith and Liam Rice by using their bank details to purchase tickets.

Louis James and James Johnson held multiple LFC membership accounts bearing false details to obtain tickets. They would then sell these tickets on at vastly inflated prices.

A membership of the club isn’t like having a season ticket but it does give the member early access to tickets at two stages on the season – at the start and halfway through.

The tickets were supposed to be for personal use. But this gang used the memberships to get their hands on as many tickets as possible so they could sell them on at a profit.

The gang had set-up their business to operate around the clock.

As they gained popularity, they even affiliated with official marketing teams. Tickets with a face value of £7 would be sold on for anything up to £1,000.

Evidence gathered between 2015 to 2020, suggests the gang made around £3,500,000 but the total sum is unclear.

The “team” devised match day instructions for buyers, strictly advising them not to contact official matchday stewards if they had any access issues, and to contact them instead.

Their scam came to light when routine maintenance took place on LFC’s online ticketing system in February 2018. Staff were told that ticket sales were prohibited during the maintenance window.

Louis James and James Johnson ignored this and carried on selling tickets. This was flagged to the maintenance team, and an internal investigation began. Merseyside Police were called in a few weeks later.

The gang’s computers were seized and hundreds of documents and spreadsheets were found on their devices with the personal details of buyers, purchase prices and the profit made.

The men were eventually arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit fraud.

Louis James pleaded Guilty to three counts of conspiracy to commit fraud at an early stage. Two days into the trial at Liverpool Crown Court, all of the other defendants entered guilty pleas. Today (17 December 2025) at Liverpool Crown Court, they were sentenced.

• Louis James, for three counts of conspiracy to commit fraud, was sentenced to: 28 months' imprisonment
• James Johnson, for two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud, was sentenced to: 21 months' imprisonment, suspended for two years. He must also do 150 hrs of unpaid work and an electronic curfew of 11pm until 7am for the next two months was imposed
• Joseph Johnson, for three counts of conspiracy to commit fraud, was sentenced to: four and a half years' imprisonment
• Liam Rice, for one count of conspiracy to commit fraud, was sentenced to: 34 months' imprisonment
• Lee Smith, for two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud, was sentenced to: 34 months' imprisonment.

Senior District Crown Prosecutor Jonathan Egan of CPS Mersey Cheshire said: ”These defendants worked together to obtain huge numbers of Liverpool Football Club tickets meant for those living locally or genuine football club members, to make huge profits by reselling them at vastly inflated prices.

“Their so-called “business” grew and grew and went from being the equivalent of a market stall to a multi-million-pound enterprise, with a base in Dubai.

“Even after Louis James and James Johnson lost their jobs in the LFC ticket office, the scam continued but their greed caught up with them in the end and their fraud came to light.

“Most of them refused to accept their culpability, even after arrest and charge and, apart from Louis James, claimed they didn’t know the tickets were being sold at a profit.

“They have now been sentenced and have jail terms to contend with. They all have criminal records as fraudsters.”

Lord Hanson, the Government's Fraud Minister, said: “Fraud is a ruthless crime that preys on our passions, our trust, and our excitement. This case serves as a stark reminder that those who exploit our national game and its supporters for personal gain will face the full force of the law.

“And to all fans out there searching for tickets, remember to Stop! Think Fraud. Stay vigilant and steer clear of deals that seem too good to be true. The best way to avoid ticket scams is to buy directly from clubs or their official partners. Don’t give fraudsters a chance."