Kansas City super fan 'ChiefsAholic' sentenced to more than 17 years in prison

Guilty plea for wire fraud and money laundering charges

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Kansas City man who pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges was sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison Tuesday.

Marc Fishman, known as "ChiefsAholic," was sentenced to 210 months in prison without the possibility of parole.

Prosecutors said Fishman used his ChiefsAholic website to get about $7 million from investors. Fishman promised investors he would use their money to buy and sell high-end sports memorabilia. But prosecutors said Fishman spent the money on personal expenses, including a new truck, vacations and gambling.

ChiefsAholic is a well-known figure in Kansas City. He is a season ticket holder sitting in the same seats at Arrowhead Stadium since 1984. He is often seen tailgating before games and has even been featured on national television.

But Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Daly portrayed Fishman as a thief who preyed on the trust of Chiefs fans.

“Mr. Fishman didn't just steal money. He stole people's dreams. He stole from the community that has supported him for decades,” Daly said.

Fishman's attorney, Jolie Rusch, asked U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to sentence Fishman to five years in prison. Rusch said Fishman had accepted responsibility for his actions and had already suffered greatly from the publicity surrounding his case.

"He went from being a respected member of the community to public enemy number one, and it was all over social media. I'm not minimizing what he did, but he's been greatly punished and would suffer greatly from a sentence of incarceration," Rusch said.

Phillips said she considered Fishman's community involvement and his guilty plea before imposing the sentence.

"This was a carefully planned scheme, and it was a very successful scheme for quite a long time. Mr. Fishman abused the trust of many people, including people who trusted him, who respected him and who looked up to him," Phillips said.

In addition to the prison sentence, Fishman was ordered to pay $6.9 million in restitution to the victims of his crimes.