$39 million ponzi scheme involving Warriors tickets nets East Bay man indictment

$39 million ponzi scheme involving Warriors tickets nets East Bay man indictment
Nina Singh-Hudson
Published on May 04, 2023

An East Bay resident, Derek Vincent Chu, has been accused of raising a whopping $39 million through fraudulent means from over 100 investors by involving them in a Ponzi scheme centered around reselling NBA tickets and luxurious arena suites at various locations, according to court documents. The arenas involved are the Oracle Arena in Oakland, the Chase Center in San Francisco, and the Staples Center (currently known as Crypto.com Arena) in Los Angeles, which are home to prominent NBA teams like the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and Los Angeles Clippers.

The dubious scheme spanned from late 2013 until 2020, and Chu allegedly made numerous false statements to investors throughout that period, convincing them to part with their money by promising specific returns and collateral for their investments. U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey, in a news release, has stated that Chu used different companies to orchestrate this scam, mixing the investment funds with his own in both personal and business bank accounts.

As to where these investments were utilized, it appears that Chu eventually decided to channel more than $7.3 million towards his own personal extravagances, paying off credit card debts, travel, purchasing luxury vehicles and jewelry, and even settling utility bills, as reported in SF Examiner. At the same time, other funds were used to repay previous investors who were still expecting returns, creating an unsustainable loop that constantly required new investments to continue running — a Ponzi scheme in its purest form.

As these events unfolded, several investigative agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the San Francisco Police Department worked together to indict Chu, leading to his arrest on May 3, 2023. Now facing federal charges, Chu is accused of eight counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. If found guilty, Chu could potentially face up to 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, along with fines amounting to $250,000 per count. Money laundering charges are no less severe, with a maximum sentence of 10 years and an additional $250,000 fine for each count, as noted by the CBS News.

Out of those affected by Chu's fraudulent operation, many were likely ardent basketball enthusiasts who thought they were making a lucrative investment in their favorite teams and players by buying into Chu's scheme. With soaring ticket prices for marquee franchises like the Warriors and Lakers still making headlines, it's not difficult to see why fans would have been swayed by an opportunity to get in on the action. Current prices for a single first-row ticket to a game at Chase Center now hover around the $9,000-mark on popular resale sites like StubHub, as mentioned by SFGate, indicating that the basketball ticket market remains hot.