Two men allegedly involved in an online scam to sell fake tickets to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game were arrested and charged last week, but not before trying to escape the person who was victimized and crashing.

According to an arrest report by the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Mitchell Keith Hazzard and Jeremy Miller were arrested Monday after they allegedly wrecked a car while being chased by the victim in southeast Forsyth.

The report stated that the victim responded to a Craigslist post and met with a suspect at the Starbucks off of Peachtree Parkway to purchase four National Championship Game tickets for $5,400.

In the report, Forsyth County Sheriff’s Deputy Sukumar stated that the victim “knew there was something wrong with the situation” when the suspect allegedly, “exited the place in a hurry.”

Sukumar stated the victim then had his wife call the suspect back from a different phone number; she was told that the tickets were still available.

At some point, the victim contacted the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. Sukumar stated that he warned the victim and his wife not to make another meeting with the suspect, but was told, “He does not care what happens to them, and he wants his money back.”

According to Sukumar, the victim went back to the Starbucks on Peachtree Parkway and attempted to get the tag of Hazzard’s vehicle, but was seen by the suspect, who then fled driving a white Dodge Avenger with temporary Wisconsin plates.

Sukumar stated that the victim followed the white Dodge Avenger until the suspect lost control of the Dodge Avenger and was involved in a wreck at James Burgess Road and Southers Circle.

According to Cpl. Doug Rainwater a spokesman for Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, both suspects allegedly fled the scene of the crash, but were eventually detained by deputies who arrived, “within a few seconds of the crash.”  

Hazzard, a 38-year-old from Wisconsin has been charged with felony theft, and Jeremy Miller a 27-year-old from Atlanta has been charged with felony party to a crime.

Sukumar stated that upon inspection of the vehicle, “multiple fake tickets for the game were located” but no money was found in the vehicle or on either Miller or Hazzard. According to the incident report, 16 fake tickets were found in the vehicle.

Both were taken to Forsyth County Jail without incident and are currently being held there with bonds of more than $20,000.

Rainwater said that in the future anyone looking to meet or sell items from the internet should consider having those meetups at one of the two Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office precincts.

“These situations are going to continue to happen. So that’s why we have opened our precincts to these types of transactions,” Rainwater said.

Added Rainwater: There is no reason not to meet anywhere but a safe place.”

Rainwater added that the Sheriff’s Office discourages anyone from following a suspected scammer.