Football ticket tout faces jail

Suhail Patel was arrested at Manchester United's ground last March

A ticket tout has been warned he faces jail over using false names to buy football match tickets, which he then sold on the internet at higher prices.

Suhail Patel, 25, of Eldon Road in Blackburn, Lancashire, applied for football tickets in false names, Preston Crown Court heard.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud and one of money laundering.

The court heard he lied to both the Football Association and the Premier League to obtain tickets.

He was arrested at Manchester United's Old Trafford ground during a Champions League game against Lyon last March.

All sentencing options remain open including the likelihood of an immediate custodial sentence

Judge Edward Slinger, Preston Crown Court

He also admitted possessing �10,000 in funds gained from his criminal activity.

Paul Brookwell, prosecuting, said: "The case as a whole is that the defendant worked as a ticket tout in buying large numbers of tickets in false names.

"He has converted those profits by putting them into his bank account."

Inquires were ongoing as to exactly how much money he gained from the enterprise, the court was told.

Mr Brookwell added Patel would be asked at his sentencing to admit to 159 similar offences which would be taken into consideration.

His defence counsel conceded the vast majority of those offences would be accepted.

Judge Edward Slinger adjourned sentencing until 12 March for reports to be prepared and granted the defendant conditional bail.

He told Patel: "All sentencing options remain open including the likelihood of an immediate custodial sentence."

The Metropolitan Police investigation, which started in October 2007, was funded by the UK Football Policing Unit working in partnership with the Football Association and the Premier League.