(Reuters) U.S. authorities on Friday unveiled criminal charges against two men accused of helping operate a hedge fund as a Ponzi scheme and of swindling investors in a ticket-reselling business for popular events, including the smash Broadway musical “Hamilton.”
Joseph Meli, who ran the ticket business, and Steven Simmons, the head of an alternative investments at Sideris Capital Partners, were arrested on Friday on securities fraud and wire fraud charges brought by Manhattan federal prosecutors. Meli, 42, and Matthew Harriton, 52, were separately accused by U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission of orchestrating an $81 million Ponzi scheme by raising money from investors to buy and resell tickets for popular shows.
