Iowa Ticket Scalper Van Roekel Gets 4+ Years in Federal Prison

HULL, IOWA – Ranae Harriet Van Roekel, 49, of Hull, Iowa, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to 51 months for a long-running scheme to defraud victims through the U.S. Mail and filing a false tax return. The sentence, handed down May 11, 2017, follows Van Roekel’s July 29, 2016 guilty plea to one count of mail fraud and one count of filing a false tax return.

For four years, Van Roekel peddled dreams that never materialized – tickets and accommodations to high-profile sporting events, most notably the Super Bowl. She took money from unsuspecting buyers for events they’d never attend. But the grift didn’t stop there. Even after pleading guilty, Van Roekel doubled down, launching a new scam involving the sale of non-existent gift bags, proving she hadn’t learned a thing.

The courtroom was a stark reminder of the real cost of Van Roekel’s greed. District Judge Mark W. Bennett didn’t mince words, stating the scheme had “wreaked havoc on many people’s lives.” Victim Glenn Lange recounted how he’d purchased Super Bowl tickets from Van Roekel at a fundraiser intended to benefit a cancer patient. Those tickets, meant to provide a small joy to someone battling for their life, never arrived. Judge Bennett specifically condemned the fact that the fraud took place within the context of a charitable event.

Beyond the Super Bowl scam, the court heard testimony revealing Van Roekel had defrauded friends and family members – those she should have held most dear. What struck Judge Bennett most, however, was Van Roekel’s complete lack of remorse. “Inexcusable,” the Judge declared, referring to Van Roekel’s failure to apologize to those she’d hurt. It’s a cold calculation that speaks volumes about the defendant’s character.

Van Roekel isn’t just getting time; she’s paying up. In addition to the 51-month prison sentence, she was slapped with a $200 special assessment and ordered to make restitution totaling $467,966.99 to her victims. Following her release, she’ll face a 3-year term of supervised release. It’s worth noting that there is no parole in the federal system – Van Roekel will serve her full sentence.

Van Roekel was released on bond and awaits a date to surrender to the United States Marshal. The case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Forde Fairchild and Jamie Bowers, with crucial investigative work provided by the United States Postal Service and the Internal Revenue Service. Court file information can be found at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl (case file number 16-4059). Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa on Twitter: @USAO_NDIA.