A Plymouth man who built a decade-long following through the University of Michigan tailgating group HailGate is now facing a wave of fraud allegations tied to Morgan Wallen concert packages and Wolverines sports memorabilia, along with revelations about a criminal past that includes a prior multi-year prison sentence. John Klein, the group's founder, has been accused in police reports and civil lawsuits of taking money for tickets, meet-and-greets, and autographed gear that buyers say never arrived.
Court and prison records reviewed by MLive show Klein has convictions for identity theft, larceny by conversion, and false pretenses, with a documented criminal history dating back to 2004. He was sentenced to a three-to-10-year prison term in 2013 and, per prison records, served 36 months at Cooper Street Correctional Facility. MLive reports that Klein used bounced checks and false documents to deceive victims in that earlier case.
The allegations now piling up against Klein center on last month's Morgan Wallen shows at Michigan Stadium, part of the singer's stadium tour produced by AEG Presents, which Hoodline covered in an earlier look at the two-night stand. Police reports allege Klein scammed fans out of concert tickets and VIP packages, and attorneys for Wallen and AEG Presents issued a cease-and-desist letter accusing him of unauthorized advertising and selling meet-and-greet opportunities that never materialized, according to the same MLive report.
A $2.5 Million Lawsuit and Other Financial Claims
The most staggering allegation comes from Craig Thornton, who filed a lawsuit alleging Klein defrauded him of nearly $2.5 million in life savings over a five-year period, per MLive's reporting. Thornton alleges Klein manipulated him into sending near-daily electronic transfers for phony notary fees and court costs. Separately, Mariana Flatt filed a lawsuit alleging Klein added himself as an authorized user on her credit card and charged $60,000 without repaying her.
Aaron Ward, who owned memorabilia signed by Tom Brady and Wayne Gretzky, reported to Plymouth Township police that roughly $50,000 in memorabilia he had entrusted to Klein disappeared or was sold without reimbursement, MLive reports. Klein has said Ward ultimately received all the money Klein agreed to pay him, and that Ward sold some of the memorabilia to another buyer after Klein arranged the sales — an account that conflicts with Ward's version of events.
Cleats Tied to Bryce Underwood Spark Separate Dispute
Among the more pointed allegations, Klein sold what was represented as a pair of Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood's cleats. A party representing Underwood warned about allegedly unlicensed merchandise and claimed the cleats were stolen, according to MLive. Klein disputes that he knowingly sold stolen cleats, saying he purchased them from a third party who told him they belonged to Underwood. Police reports indicated Klein sold the cleats but did not indicate that he stole them — a distinction MLive notes directly from those reports. University officials reportedly advised players in 2025 to avoid business relationships with Klein and his HailGate operation.
Ticketmaster's official event listings for Wallen's tour explicitly stated that VIP packages did not include meet-and-greets or photo opportunities with the artist, according to ClickOnDetroit, directly contradicting what buyers say Klein marketed to them. Concert buyer Mathias Conant told the outlet he paid Klein $3,200 for four tickets, a meet-and-greet package, a signed guitar, and tailgate wristbands, but received none of it, with his promised refund left indefinitely listed as pending. Florida resident and Michigan season-ticket holder Brett Laskey told FOX 2 Detroit he paid $700 for a Michigan logo football and a helmet promised to be signed by Underwood, only for Klein to later claim players were only doing initials before failing to deliver the merchandise at all.
Online Backlash Grows as Investigations Multiply
A Facebook group called HailGate Victims swelled to more than 600 members in late July as affected buyers compared notes on missing deliveries, questionable collectibles, and stalled refunds, according to Whiskey Riff. That online community, Whiskey Riff notes, helped fans and concertgoers across multiple states coordinate reports to law enforcement — a stark contrast from the original HailGate Facebook group, which had grown past 10,000 members over years of hosting gameday tailgates outside Michigan Stadium.
Plymouth Township police currently have four open investigations into concert-related claims against Klein, though the department has also closed six other incident reports without filing criminal charges, per MLive. Klein, for his part, has said he has customer-service issues but that critics have misconstrued the situation and his character. He has said he did right by the athletes he worked with, has removed some listings and offered refunds to some individuals, and plans to pursue legal action against some of his accusers.
State Investigators Weigh Civil vs. Criminal Path
The Michigan Attorney General's Office is reviewing 11 complaints of undelivered merchandise and has stated there is probable cause regarding unlawful business practices, according to MLive. The office is still determining whether to pursue a lawsuit or a negotiated resolution. Law enforcement officials face difficulty distinguishing a civil breach of contract from criminal larceny by false pretenses, a distinction that matters because Michigan law treats them very differently.
Under Michigan Penal Code Section 750.218, larceny by false pretenses involving property or funds valued at $20,000 or more is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000 or three times the value obtained, according to DeMatteis & Ricciardello. The Attorney General's office has pursued similar cases before: in December 2025, prosecutors in Ingham County Circuit Court secured probation and full restitution orders against two individuals charged with felony larceny by false pretenses over $20,000, according to Detroit Legal News. Whether Klein's case follows a similar path — or ends in a civil settlement — remains an open question for state investigators to resolve.
