The man responsible for a defrauding Husker fans through a ticket-package scam in June of 2022 has been liable.
This week, Lancaster District Court Judge Jodi Nelson ordered Kenneth Jason McCants to pay $87k in restitution to the victims of the ‘Nebraska Game Day Experience’ scam. The judge also ordered McCants to pay $252k in civil penalties and additional fees.
Judge Nelson had previously found McCants liable for the Nebraska Game Day Experience and entered an injunction preventing Mr. McCants from running similar ticketing frauds.
Back in September, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers filed the suit alleging Mr. McCants had defrauded consumers by promising them the opportunity to watch a Husker football game with former husker football players all from the comfort of a Memorial Stadium suite. The Nebraska Game Day Experience also promised consumers that they would receive various perks with all proceeds to benefit named charities. Instead, Nebraska consumers were left with general admission tickets or nothing at all.
“This fraud preyed on Nebraskans’ love of the Cornhusker and their passion to help others in need. We are grateful for the Court’s order, which will send a message to other would-be fraudsters,” said Attorney General Mike Hilgers. “If any money is recovered, our office will prioritize returning funds to consumers harmed by the fraud.”
While the Attorney General will seek to recover the awarded relief, there is no guarantee it will be recovered, given the allegations that the fraudster already spent consumer funds.
This case inspired Hilgers’ work on LB934, which was introduced and enacted during the 2024 legislative session. This bill allows the Attorney General to freeze ill-gotten funds to prevent them from being spent or otherwise depleted, increasing the likelihood that consumer funds can be recovered.
Hilgers said this legislation equips his office with better tools to help prevent scammers in the future from spending ill-gotten money before it can be recovered and returned to the victim.