Four members of a Texan family were charged with felonies under federal law, using stolen identities to obtain tickets to the Masters golf tournament and then reselling them at a good profit.
The documents filed in Augusta's US District Court do not specify the number of tickets that the family could have obtained, nor the amount of their resale. Between 2013 and 2017, the family used stolen identities in order to deceive the lottery system that distributes tournament tickets and bypass the rules of the Augusta Golf Club.
Stephen Michael Freeman, of Katy, Texas, has been charged with conspiracy to commit mail and electronic fraud and aggravated identity theft. Freeman's parents Steven Lee Freeman and Diane Freeman of Helotes, Texas, and a sister, Christine Oliverson of San Antonio, have also been charged with conspiracy.
The family would then ask Augusta National to change the addresses associated with the fake accounts, using "fake driver's licenses, fake utility bills and fake credit card statements in the identity of fake user accounts" sent by mail, indicated court documents.
The court records did not list lawyers who could speak on behalf of Freeman or his accused relatives.
US Attorney General Bobby Christine said the charges were punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
