Police arrested a Warnerville woman on charges of forging season tickets to the Sunshine Fair and possibly bilking the Fair out of more than $15,000.
Cobleskill Village Police and the Schoharie County Sheriff’s Office charged Sarah A. Thompson, 42, with third-degree forgery, a Class A misdemeanor.
Police said informants reported large numbers of forged passes being distributed as the Fair opened Friday, July 31.
The investigation led officers to Ms. Thompson’s residence in Warnerville, where they found numerous forged passes, money from the sale of the passes, along with marijuana and related paraphernalia.
Ms. Thompson admitted to ‘forging and distributing hundreds of fake season passes,” according to police.
Evidence indicates Ms. Thompson may have been printing and selling the forged passes for at least three years, Cobleskill Police Chief Mike O’Brien said.
Legitimate Fair passes cost $50 and are available only at the Fairgrounds office. People were offering the fake passes for “$5 or $10 and waving them around” on South Grand Street, according to one officer.
Chief Mike O’Brien said the forgeries closely resemble genuine tickets. Both are powder blue with bold type and spaces to check off each day of entry to the Fair.
But the lettering on the forgeries isn’t quite as bold, the lettering is centered on the ticket, and a tear-off tab isn’t perforated as it is on a true pass.
“They’re pretty identifiable to someone who knows,” said Chief O’Brien, “but the guy in the street wouldn’t notice. They’re pretty good forgeries.”
He said Ms. Thompson apparently printed them on a home computer.
Police arrested her on Thursday and by then had collected 140 forged passes. With people still turning them in, the “number is well over 200 now,” Chief O’Brien said.
He estimated the Fair lost at least $15,000 from the sale of the forgeries.
“And that figure is still climbing,” Chief O’Brien said. “It’s hard to put a definitive number on it. And there’s no way to know what was sold in the past.”
Fair President Doug Cater said he was shocked by the case, adding that he had never heard of forged passes before.
“But you never know,” he said. “Next year we’ll be using scanners on tickets, no question.”
The Sunshine Fair, Mr. Cater added, will weather the loss.
“It won’t take away from the Fair,” he said, “but there may something we won’t be able to do now––repairs or buildings. Whatever money we take in goes back into the Fairgrounds.
“It’s an unfortunate situation, stealing from a non-profit.”
Chief O’Brien was surprised the forgeries didn’t come to light earlier.
“I’m a little disturbed that many people bought $50 tickets for $10 and never asked any questions,” he said. “You have to think something’s wrong with the tickets.”
Ms. Thompson was issued an appearance ticket to be in Richmondville Town Court August 26 at 3pm.
The investigation is continuing, and there might be charges against the people––other than Ms. Thompson–-who were selling the tickets, Chief O’Brien said.
He’s also working with District Attorney Jim Sacket, and the charge against Ms. Thompson may be upgraded to a felony.