A Burlington couple who ran a fake Taylor Swift ticket scheme that cost 107 people a combined $265,330 may face community-based sentences instead of time behind bars.
Here's what to know
Denise Tisor and David Blake pleaded guilty after selling tickets that didn't exist to Southern Ontario residents who thought they were buying seats to one of Taylor Swift's six Toronto concerts in November 2024.
According to Global News, assistant Crown attorney Michael Rzeszutek told Ontario Court Justice Peter Maund that the Crown and defense were jointly seeking a conditional sentence order of two years less a day for Tisor and six months for Blake.
Tisor pleaded guilty to one count of fraud over $5,000, while Blake pleaded guilty to possessing property obtained by crime over $5,000.
That would keep both out of jail. A conditional sentence order is served in the community and usually includes a strict house-arrest phase followed by curfew conditions, per Global News.
The court also heard nearly two dozen victim impact statements about the fallout and the pain of telling their children that the Eras Tour presents they had been given were not real. Several parents said they had trusted Tisor because she was a mother in their community who had previously sold legitimate tickets.
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Tammy Allin, who spent $2,100 and had taught three of Tisor's four children, called the scam "a breach of trust" and described having to explain to her daughter that a trusted adult had lied, as Global News detailed.
More background
Global News reported that buyers purchased Rogers Centre tickets from Aug. 8, 2023, to Nov. 12, 2024, and sent Tisor money by electronic transfer.
They were told the tickets would be emailed 48 to 72 hours before the show. But by Nov. 14, 2024 — the first Toronto date of the Eras Tour — none of the victims had received any tickets.
When customers sought answers, Tisor said the tickets were supposed to come from Mark Harlow, who she said had been reliable before disappearing from Facebook and email.
Police later determined Harlow had no role in the fraudulent sales and that all 107 buyers were left without tickets or refunds, according to Global News.
Blake admitted that $42,495 from the fake ticket sales was deposited into his bank account from Oct. 10, 2023, to Nov. 12, 2024, and that he knew the money came from Tisor's scheme.
They also admitted that from July 1, 2023, to Nov. 28, 2024, $139,144 of the money was used for online gaming bets on platforms including Bet Rivers and Paybilt, leading to a net loss of $56,335, and that they made about 350 ATM withdrawals totaling over $297,000, Global News noted.
What's being done?
Blake's pre-sentence report was not complete, and the sentencing hearing was to resume after it was filed. After that, the judge will decide whether to accept the joint recommendation for community-based sentences.
Kristina Picton, who spent $1,700, told the court the concert was meant to be a "big treat and day out of hospital" for her daughter, who had undergone surgeries and biopsies for six years, Global News reported.
Some victims asked for their money back. "I couldn't believe I was taken for a ride and people could be capable of such malicious behavior," Picton told the court, per Global News. "I hope she's held accountable for her disgusting behavior. I would like to be paid in full the $1,700 to my account and get the restitution I deserve."
Alaina Attard, who paid $1,050 for two tickets, said, "You had no problem at all breaking the hearts of hundreds of children and leaving them to try to make sense of a senseless act of greed."
Where can I learn more?
Here are some more "Swifty" stories featuring scrutiny of her travel.
• In 2024, flight records showed Swift used a private jet frequently during tour travel.
• Swift flight details sparked backlash over what critics called excessive private jet travel.
• A flight-tracking map raised eyebrows after a short Swift jet trip.
• Airfield footage sparked a firestorm as viewers questioned another private jet movement linked to Swift.
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