Edward Vierling, a 60-year-old Stamford resident, has avoided jail time after admitting to a $45,000 ticket fraud involving True North Tickets, a Westport-based ticket vendor. Vierling agreed to plead guilty to first-degree larceny during a hearing at Stamford’s state Superior Court on Tuesday.
In exchange for his plea, Vierling received a 15-year prison sentence, fully suspended, and was placed on probation for 30 months. Should he violate the terms of his probation, he could face the entire 15-year sentence. As part of his plea deal, Vierling is required to pay $35,000 in restitution on his sentencing date, February 11, with the remaining $13,085 to be paid over his probation period.
Vierling’s arrest in 2020 stemmed from a fraud complaint filed by True North Tickets, a venue on Charles Street in Westport that sells tickets for sports, concerts, and theater events. The ticket vendor’s owner reported that Vierling had made multiple ticket purchases under a client’s name, only for the charges to later be flagged as fraudulent. Authorities estimated the financial loss at over $40,000 but did not disclose the types of tickets involved in the scheme.