Wilmington police arrested a Newark area man following an investigation into the theft of more than $37,000 in Philadelphia Phillies tickets designated for The News Journal Media Group.
An employee of the newspaper company contacted Police on March 13, 2013, and reported that the newspaper had purchased 324 tickets with 81 parking passes. The tickets were inadvertently delivered to a business at 1209 N. Orange Street and signed for by an unknown employee on February 22, 2013.
On March 9, 2013 another employee at The News Journal noticed that the Phillies tickets designated for The News Journal were on sale by a third party on Craigslist.
Following an investigation, two police officers acted as interested buyers and arranged to meet the seller at a parking lot off of Lea Boulevard and North Market Streets. When the seller arrived at the parking lot he was taken into custody and found in possession of Phillies tickets and a parking pass.
Further investigation revealed that the seller obtained the tickets from Scott Lascala believing that they were gifts from Lascala’s employer and was unaware that they were stolen. The seller was not charged.
The officers then responded to Lascala’s place of employment at 1209 N. Orange Street and took him into custody without incident.
An investigation indicates that Lascala apparently signed for the tickets when they were mistakenly delivered to his office at 1209 N. Orange Street. He then began distributing the tickets to fellow employees and selling them to third parties.
Lascala was released pending further investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service. On March 26, 2013 Lascala was charged with Theft and Conspiracy 2nd. He turned himself in at Wilmington Police Headquarters and was released after posting $2,000 unsecured bond.
The tickets in question are season tickets for all 81 home games for the Diamond Club, Section G, Row 12, Seats 7, 8, 9, and 10. The Philadelphia Phillies have voided all tickets connected with this incident. Anyone who may have purchased these tickets or may be attempting to sell them should contact M/Cpl. Connor at 302-576-3670 before further charges are pursued.
