Carton Gets Shorter-Than-Expected Jail Time As Ponzi Punishment

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NEW YORK — One of the most popular sports talk hosts at one of the nation’s highest-billing radio stations will be spending the next 3 1/2 years in one of the Empire State’s finest penitentiaries.


It’s a smaller sentence for Craig Carton, formerly of Entercom’s recently acquired WFAN-AM & FM, than some expected.

Carton was arrested in September 2018 on the grounds that he was the central figure in a Ponzi scheme. He was found guilty of the charges in November 2018 and awaited sentencing, which came on Friday (4/5).

For a nearly $7 million ticket resale scam he administered in an attempt to pay off gambling debts, Carton will be in jail for 42 months; some believed he could have been in jail for 45 years; prosecutors sought between five and seven years.

In addition to the jail time, Carton was directed to pay $4,835,186.56 in restitution and complete 150 hours of community service as penalty for conspiracy, wire fraud and securities fraud. According to WABC-TV, Carton must also forfeit $4,590,000.

Carton, a 50-year-old Manhattan resident, co-hosted the Boomer and Carton show on WFAN for many years with former New York Jets quarterback Boomer Esiason. Carton left the show after his 2017 arrest.

As the New York Post reports, Carton begged for no prison time but failed to sway U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon.