Craig Carton convicted of fraud

NEW YORK — Craig Carton, the former co-host of a sports radio show with ex-NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason, emerged from a courthouse where he was convicted of fraud Wednesday to say he was disappointed with the verdict, though he respected it.

“I need to let it sink in now,” Carton said. “I’m going to go home and hug my kids and let my lawyers deal with the rest of it.”

His lawyers said they planned to appeal the Manhattan federal court jury verdict. Sentencing was set for Feb. 27 on charges of conspiracy, wire fraud and securities fraud. Though the charges carry a potential penalty of 45 years in prison, any sentence was likely to be far less than that.

The verdict came after five hours of deliberations that began Tuesday.

Carton, 49, of Manhattan, was accused of swindling investors in a ticket reselling business. Prosecutors said he spent investor money on personal expenses, including gambling debts and landscaping bills.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said after the verdict that Carton enticed investors by touting his show business contacts and his ability to score seats to live events, saying he could grow their investments by reselling premium tickets.

“As a unanimous Manhattan jury has found, Carton was all talk,” Berman said in a statement.