Former Suns Employee Pleads Guilty To Illegally Selling Tix On StubHub

PHOENIX, AZ —With the Phoenix Suns scheduled to play Game 5 of their NBA Western Conference Playoff series against New Orleans Tuesday night, the team has once again hit the headlines for the wrong reasons.

On Monday, ESPN reported that Jeffrey Marcussen, the Suns' former assistant director of ticketing, has pleaded guilty in Maricopa County Superior Court to selling more than 2,800 game tickets through third-party broker StubHub from 2017 to 2019.

Marcussen, who worked for the Suns from 2004 to 2019, is scheduled to be sentenced on Jun 7, on felony fraud and theft charges, according to ESPN.

Though the charges could carry 13 years in jail, ESPN reported that in the plea agreement submitted to a Maricopa County judge, prosecutors asked for probation with a maximum of a year in jail.

According to court records, Marcussen also must pay $1,780 to the Arizona Attorney General's anti-racketeering revolving fund and $11,818 to the Arizona Department of Revenue.

The case is not related to the NBA's ongoing investigation involving Phoenix Suns majority owner Robert Sarver's workplace conduct.

According to prosecutors, Marcussen sold tickets on StubHub without authorization —the Suns don't sell tickets via that online platform — and court records indicate he received a total payout of $458,218 for the sales.

Prosecutors said StubHub initially contacted the NBA when it discovered five different accounts linked to Marcussen.

In June 2019, Suns employees were notified that Marcussen was no longer employed by the team, though no reasons were given for his departure, ESPN reported.

But in Sept. 2020, Marcussen was indicted on four felonies, including two counts for filing false tax returns.

In a statement to ESPN, Marcussen's attorney Mark Kokanovic said his client's decision-making may have been related to rather tragic circumstances in his life, namely the murder of Marcussen's brother Thomas in 2014.

"Jeff worked for the Phoenix Suns for close to 20 years. After the cold-blooded tragic murder of his brother near the end of Jeff's career with the Suns, Jeff began selling tickets without team approval," Kokanovic said. "(Marcussen) admitted to the sales and reimbursed the team while cooperating with the Arizona Attorney General's Office."