Former WFAN host Carton found guilty

Faces up to 45 years for duping investors

NEWYORK — Acerbic radio personality Craig Carton has a new reason to be bitter: He’s guilty of a Ponzi scheme.

A Manhattan jury found the former WFANhost duped investors in a bogus plan to sell concert tickets on the secondary market.

Carton faces up to 45 years on charges of wire fraud and securities fraud, though he will almost certainly be sentenced to much less.

The evidence against Carton, 49, was overwhelming. The jury deliberated for less than five hours before reaching their verdict on Wednesday.

“Radio personality Craig Carton solicited investments for his ticket buying scheme by

touting his show business contacts and ability to buy blocks of tickets to live events,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said.

“Carton was all talk.” Prosecutors showed that Carton had manipulated emails to convince investors to pour over $4 million into his plan to sell tickets to Metallica, Barbra Streisand and other concerts at Barclays Center and Nassau Coliseum.

Bank records showed that Carton spent investors’ money on other expenses, including gambling debts.

Until last year, Carton was the co-host of one of the most popular sportstalk shows in the country, “Boomer and Carton,” with former Jets quarterback Boomer Esiason. He was known for his analysis of sports betting and antagonistic relationship with callers.

He showed little emotion as the verdict was read in Manhattan Federal Court, at one point putting putting his hand over his mouth.

“I’m obviously disappointed with the verdict. I respect it, but I’m disappointed,” he said. “I’m going to go home and hug my kids and let my lawyers deal with the rest of it.”

His attorney, Robert Gottlieb, vowed to appeal.

Gottlieb’s closing remarks to the jury hinted at the daunting odds the radio host faced. He admitted Carton had misled investors, but insisted he had no criminal intent. Carton was eventually going to pay everyone back, he said.

“Money is fungible... He was entitled to spend that money on whatever he wanted to spend it on as long as he fulfilled his obligations,” Gottlieb said.