Overview
- Seven defendants appeared at Liverpool Crown Court charged with conspiracy to defraud over an alleged ticket‑resale operation.
- The prosecution says ticket office employees Louis James and James Johnson colluded with touts to divert Anfield tickets for profit.
- A February 2018 system revamp flagged irregularities, including £9 local tickets processed early, a recurring password "Luis7", and transactions linked to the Crowne Plaza hotel.
- Investigators say Louis James was observed handing envelopes of tickets to co‑accused Joseph Johnson, and his seized phone contained about 250,000 messages and 27,000 images.
- Prosecutors cite WhatsApp exchanges from 2015 onward and claim the scheme extended to other Premier League matches with resales on Viagogo, StubHub and Ticketbis.