Sox to revoke season tickets over scalping

Boston Red Sox officials are getting tough with season ticket holders caught reselling their tickets for a profit.

Ron Bumgarner, Red Sox vice president of ticketing, said yesterday the team is preparing to revoke the seats of at least three and as many as five season ticket holders caught reselling their tickets online. The exact number will depend on the outcome of the team's investigation, he said.

Sox officials also said they plan to use information gleaned from arrests of ticket resellers around Fenway Park to track down who is supplying those street sellers with tickets.

Charles Cellucci, director of security and emergency services for the Red Sox, said any season ticket holder caught reselling their tickets to turn a profit could have their tickets revoked. "This is a work in progress," Cellucci said. "The main goal is to keep tickets out of the hands of scalpers and in the hands of regular fans."

The Red Sox have talked tough in the past, but the team has rarely revoked the seats of season ticket holders. The Sox have always paid for a Boston Police detail at Red Sox games, but that detail has shown little interest in recent years in enforcing the state's antiscalping law, which requires people in the business of reselling tickets to be licensed by the state and to charge no more than $2 above face value plus service and business expenses.

But there are signs now that the Sox and the police are serious about cracking down on scalping. Through the first five months of last season, only four people were arrested around Fenway Park and charged with violating the antiscalping law. By contrast, eight people were arrested at the first two games of this year, including Michael B. Corradino Jr. of Revere, who was convicted of second-degree murder in 1974 for shooting Michael Barry twice in the head following a dispute over a card game.

Corradino, who has been on parole since 2002, was sent to MCI-Concord yesterday, where he will be held until his case is reviewed by parole board members. Donald Giancioppo, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Parole Board, said the board could decide to release Corradino or keep him in prison for an extended period .

According to a police report, two plainclothes Boston Police officers walking on Brookline Avenue at 6 p.m. Wednesday heard Corradino yell "tickets." The report said the officers arrested Corradino after he tried to sell them a ticket with a face value of $85 for $150.

In his pockets, Corradino had $608 in cash; three tickets to Wednesday night's game against the Seattle Mariners; two tickets to a Red Sox game against the New York Yankees on June 2; three tickets for a Toronto Blue Jays game on July 13; and 16 tickets for Wednesday night's Boston Celtics game against the Philadelphia 76ers, according to the police report.

Corradino -- and the others arrested -- generally face fines capped at $500 for reselling tickets in excess of face value.

Jake Wark, a spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, said prosecutors are focused on people reselling tickets as a business and not with fans who make one-time sales of their tickets at face value.

Given the number of tickets and the cash allegedly found on Corradino, Wark said it appears Corradino was treating the ticket sales like a business.

Giancioppo at the Parole Board said Corradino has had no problems since he regained his freedom in October 2002. He was paroled once before, in 1989, but was returned to prison in 1993 when he was found with cocaine, according to parole board records.

Corradino's landlord for the last three years, Ben Franklin, said Corradino has been a problem-free tenant since he moved into a basement apartment on Franklin Avenue in Revere.

When told that Corradino was charged with violating the antiscalping law, Franklin said law enforcement officials should turn their attention elsewhere.

"He's probably trying to make a living," said Franklin. "He's run into a few problems, but he's a great guy, trying to stay out of trouble and making a living."

In addition to Corradino, those arrested Wednesday were identified by Wark as David Collomore, 47, of Marblehead, Sean Faletti, 28, of Quincy, and Jason Rose, 24, of Lynn. All appeared in Boston Municipal Court yesterday, where they entered not guilty pleas and were released on personal recognizance.

Bruce Mohl can be reached at mohl@globe.com.