Craig Carton went to federal prison after a Manhattan jury convicted him in November 2018 of securities fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy tied to a nearly $7 million ticket-resale scheme. Judge Colleen McMahon sentenced him on April 5, 2019, to 42 months at the federal prison camp in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, along with $4,835,186.56 in restitution and $4,590,000 in forfeiture.1United States Department of Justice. Radio Talk Show Host Craig Carton Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Securities and Wire Fraud He served roughly a year before being released to a halfway house in June 2020.
What the Fraud Was
Carton and co-conspirator Joseph Meli told investors they had access to large blocks of face-value tickets for high-demand concerts and events and would resell them at a profit. Carton claimed an agreement with a company operating two major New York-area arenas; Meli claimed a similar deal with a major concert promoter. Neither contract existed. The supposed agreements were fabricated.
Investor money that came in was diverted. The SEC’s civil complaint alleged that Carton and Meli misappropriated at least $3.6 million of investor funds to repay earlier investors and cover expenses including Carton’s gambling debts, and that Carton stole an additional $2 million by tricking a concert venue into forwarding an investor’s money to a bank account belonging to one of his companies.2U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Craig H. Carton, et al. The scheme carried a Ponzi-like feature: portions of new investor money were used to pay purported “returns” to earlier investors, which kept the fraud alive longer. Prosecutors said the total collected from investors approached $7 million.3United States Department of Justice. Manhattan US Attorney Announces Conviction of Radio Talk Show Host Craig Carton for Securities and Wire Fraud
Arrest, Conviction, and Sentence
Federal authorities arrested Carton on September 6, 2017, charging him with securities fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit both.4United States Department of Justice. New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Participation in Ticket Investment Scheme The case was tried in the Southern District of New York before Chief U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon.
On November 7, 2018, the jury convicted Carton on all three counts.3United States Department of Justice. Manhattan US Attorney Announces Conviction of Radio Talk Show Host Craig Carton for Securities and Wire Fraud Securities fraud and wire fraud each carried up to 20 years; conspiracy carried up to five. At sentencing on April 5, 2019, Judge McMahon imposed 42 months in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution of $4,835,186.56, and forfeiture of $4,590,000.1United States Department of Justice. Radio Talk Show Host Craig Carton Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Securities and Wire Fraud
Where He Served His Time
Carton reported to the federal prison camp at Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, in June 2019. The Lewisburg satellite camp is a minimum-security facility, the lowest custody level in the federal system, and typically holds nonviolent offenders with shorter sentences.
How He Was Released Early
Carton was released to a halfway house on June 23, 2020, after about a year in custody, and later transitioned to home confinement. The timing aligned with the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Attorney General William Barr directed the Bureau of Prisons to expand home confinement eligibility for medically vulnerable inmates and for those at minimum- or low-security facilities who had served a substantial portion of their sentences and posed a low recidivism risk.
Carton also reportedly completed multiple rehabilitation programs while incarcerated, including programs addressing his gambling addiction. Under the First Step Act, eligible federal inmates can earn 10 days of time credits for every 30 days of successful participation in approved programs, plus an additional 5 days for inmates classified as low recidivism risk.5eCFR. Subpart E – First Step Act Time Credits
What Happened to the Co-Defendants
Both of Carton’s co-defendants pleaded guilty rather than go to trial. Michael Wright pleaded guilty on September 27, 2018, to one count of wire fraud and received 21 months in federal prison.1United States Department of Justice. Radio Talk Show Host Craig Carton Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Securities and Wire Fraud
Joseph Meli was sentenced to 37 months, with 25 of those months running concurrently with a sentence he was already serving in a separate but related Broadway ticket fraud case involving shows including Hamilton and Adele concerts. Meli was also ordered to pay $2,082,425 in forfeiture and $1,909,146 in restitution.6United States Department of Justice. Joseph Meli Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Participating in Broadway Ticket Resale Investment Scheme
After Prison
Carton returned to broadcasting after his release. He went back to WFAN, then launched “The Carton Show” on Fox Sports 1, a national weekday morning program that debuted in September 2022. In late 2025 he announced a return to WFAN to take over the afternoon drive-time slot. His federal supervised release term following the 42-month sentence runs three years.