A federal grand jury in Des Moines has indicted Martin James Tirrell, 65, on 11 counts of wire fraud. According to the indictment, Tirrell allegedly operated a scheme between February 2024 and January 2025, convincing individuals to provide money for the purchase and resale of tickets to high-demand sports and concert events. The indictment states that instead of using the funds as promised, Tirrell spent most of the money on gambling, personal expenses, repaying loans, and paying earlier investors.
The total losses sustained by victim investors exceeded $1.5 million. The indictment also notes that several million dollars were provided to Tirrell by investors.
At the time of the alleged offenses, Tirrell was on federal supervised release following a 2019 mail fraud conviction. He had been released from a 41-month prison sentence in January 2023.
Tirrell appeared in court on October 20, 2025, before a United States Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of Iowa. His trial is scheduled for December 1, 2025. Tirrell will remain in federal custody until further proceedings.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa announced the charges. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is conducting the investigation.
“An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law,” according to the announcement.
