Two men have pleaded guilty to federal charges for selling concessions at Petco Park and Snapdragon Stadium through a fake charity, authorities announced.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the men claimed their scheme supported youth softball in San Diego.
The defendants are identified as Noly Hermoso Ilarde, 57, of San Diego, and Martin Jose Rebollo Jr., 58, of Chula Vista.
How the scheme worked
Both men claimed that the organization “Chula Vista Fast Pitch” had been selected to sell concessions at the two stadiums. Under the arrangement, 10 percent of sales was supposed to go to the charity, while Ilarde and Rebollo kept the majority of the proceeds for themselves.
Ilarde pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Rebollo entered his guilty plea in December to the same charge, along with filing false tax returns and Social Security fraud.
Rebollo admitted to obtaining more than $1.5 million through the scheme, while Ilarde acknowledged taking in $550,000.
