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Ticket Swindler Faces More Charges
On June 28, Swintosky was ordered held over for trial in Allegheny County. At the time, he faced 11 charges of theft by deception and theft by failure to make required disposition of funds. But prosecutors continued adding counts; by early August, the total reached more than 40. He had already received an October trial date in nearby Cambria County on seven other counts in a separate case, and charges are also pending in two other Pennsylvania counties.
If Swintosky felt like he was at the bottom of a dog pile, another 14 of his former “clients” came forward, alleging he swindled them ou t of a total of $53,150 worth of tickets. He was brought before District Justice Oscar Petite Jr. August 17 and arraigned on 34 more counts.
The new charges included three each of witness intimidation and obstruction of justice. Swintosky was still apparently trying to work deals while in jail, allegedly calling three of his accusers and promising to deliver tickets if they dropped charges.
“I’m looking for an official to throw a flag for piling on,” public defender Sumner Parker told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette after the arraignment.
The football analogy was appropriate enough. Among the tickets Swintosky “sold” but never delivered were Pittsburgh Steelers and Penn State football season passes, as well as concerts and golf tournament ducats.
Petite set bail at $50,000 on the additional charges, pending a September 14 preliminary hearing. Because Swintosky violated probation in Cambria County on similar charges, it’s doubtful he would be released even if he met bail.