Probation for man involved in tennis ticket scam
A 54-year old Palm Desert man who posed as an Indian Wells property owner to get free tickets to the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament and discounts at a golf club was placed on probation Monday.
Michael Capizzi pleaded guilty Friday to a felony count of burglary for the Dec. 20 crimes and was sentenced to three years probation. A felony count of grand theft and misdemeanor counts of petty theft and alteration of official records were dismissed in exchange for the guilty plea, according to court records.
Capizzi was arrested March 18.
According to Riverside County sheriff’s Lt. Coby Webb, Capizzi altered a copy of a grant deed to show he owned property in the 46000 block of Arapahoe Circle in Indian Wells.
“His motive for creating the fictitious document was to acquire a city of Indian Wells property owner identification card, and subsequently receive free admission tickets to the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament and discounted green fees at the Indian Wells Golf Resort,” Webb said earlier.
Capizzi received two suite tickets, four loge-level tickets and a parking pass for the tennis tournament after showing the property owner card at Indian Wells City Hall, Webb said. The criminal complaint says Capizzi defrauded the city of $950 in tournament tickets.
“Additionally, Capizzi played 11 rounds of golf at the Indian Wells Golf Resort for the $35 resident rate, instead of the $115-$185 rate he should have paid,” the lieutenant said.
Capizzi finished another three-year probationary term in March after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor property fraud charge in 2011, according to court records.
