A Plymouth man who built a decade-long following through the University of Michigan tailgating group HailGate is now facing a wave of fraud allegations tied to Morgan Wallen concert packages and Wolverines sports memorabilia, along with revelations about a criminal past that includes a prior multi-year prison sentence. John Klein, the group’s founder, has been accused in police reports and civil lawsuits of taking money for tickets, meet-and-greets, and autographed gear that buyers say never arrived.
Court and prison records reviewed by MLive show Klein has convictions for identity theft, larceny by conversion, and false pretenses, with a documented criminal history dating back to 2004. He was sentenced to a three-to-10-year prison term in 2013 and, per prison records, served 36 months at Cooper Street Correctional Facility. MLive reports that Klein used bounced checks and false documents to deceive victims in that earlier case.
The allegations now piling up against Klein center on last month’s Morgan Wallen shows at Michigan Stadium, part of the singer’s stadium tour produced by AEG Presents, which Hoodline covered in an earlier look at the two-night stand. Police reports allege Klein scammed fans out of concert tickets and VIP packages, and attorneys for Wallen and AEG Presents issued a cease-and-desist letter accusing him of unauthorized advertising and selling meet-and-greet opportunities that never materialized, according to the same MLive report.
A $2.5 Million Lawsuit and Other Financial Claims
The most staggering allegation comes from Craig Thornton, who filed a lawsuit alleging Klein defrauded him of nearly $2.5 million in life savings over a five-year period, per MLive’s reporting. Thornton alleges Klein manipulated him into sending near-daily electronic transfers for phony notary fees and court costs. Separately, Mariana Flatt filed a lawsuit alleging Klein added himself as an authorized user on her credit card and charged $60,000 without repaying her…