It's never too late to say sorry, a Port Coquitlam man learned in court Tuesday as he pleaded guilty to selling fake tickets to a Justin Bieber concert.
A mother and daughter from Westbank paid $600 for tickets to Bieber's Vancouver concert in March, only to discover they were fake. They were among many people who complained to police that the tickets they'd bought on Kijiji or Craigslist wouldn't scan at the Roger's Arena door.
Police suggested purchasing tickets from an authorized distributor or at the box office or, if purchasing from an unknown seller, to meet in a public setting such as a coffee shop or at the local police station.
Giuseppe Farinella, 38, was arrested and charged with fraud and possessing identity documents.
In B.C. Provincial Court in Port Coquitlam Tuesday Farinella pleaded guilty to fraud and was given a conditional discharge with nine conditions, including:
• that he not possess a cell phone or other digital telecommunication devices except for one cell phone registered in his own name, and that the number first be provided to his probation officer;
• that he not possess any identification, credit cards, debit cards, cheques, driver's licence, birth certificates, social insurance cards, mail, invoices or other identity documents except those issued to him in his own name;
• that he not possess account information that contains personal information with the exception of his own personal data; and,
• that he make a restitution payment of $640 to the Westbank mother.
Farinella also received 18 months of probation and a $100 victim surcharge.
A charge of possessing identity documents was stayed.
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