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GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Gwinnett County Police are searching for a Lawrenceville man who has vanished with more than three-quarters of a million dollars from undelivered Super Bowl tickets and broken promises.
Neel Shah, a hotel developer in Norcross, thought Ketan Shah, no relation, was a friend.
“I never got the tickets I wired him $20,000. It was $5,000 per ticket,” said Shah
He says he and his wife had attended charity events and other social gatherings with Shah.
So he didn’t think twice when Shah asked him to buy some Super Bowl tickets.
“Actually oddly my assumption was he was going too. It wasn’t a specific resale situation,” said Shah.
Corporal Wilbert Rundles, with the Gwinnett County Police Department, said other victims paid Shah money for undelivered Super Bowl tickets.
“The money totals well over three-quarters of a million dollars,” said Corporal Rundles.
He said there were five victims in Gwinnett County alone.
Corporal Rundles said payments ranged from ten thousand dollars to more than fifty thousand dollars for undelivered Super Bowl tickets.
He told FOX 5 News Shah’s mother told police her son left with $36,000 she gave him for tickets for the big game.
“It is pretty surprising when you would take advantage of a friend or family members, but your own mother. It’s quite troubling,” said Corporal Rundles.
Corporal Rundles said a Columbus man lost a half million dollars he loaned Shah to set up a Super Bowl venue.
“One person was promised to host an event at an arena based on the Super Bowl,” said Corporal Rundles.
Neel Shah said Ketan Shah was well connected in Metro Atlanta.
“Absolutely he had the where with all, he’s done them himself before, he’s sponsored all kinds of events,” said Shah.
Ketan Shah was a board member of the Georgia Indo-American Chamber of Commerce which said on its website Shah has been suspended.
Neel Shah said Shah owned Digital Express Printing in Norcross and was a long time member of the Jain Society Temple in Norcross.
He said at many levels Shah leaves people in shock and pain, mostly his family.
“I’d give up the twenty grand just to make sure that they weren’t hurt but it’s too late they’re shattered,” said Shah.
Corporal Rundles told FOX 5 News Ketan Shah hasn’t yet been criminally charged because the Super Bowl hasn’t yet been played.
He said investigators are not holding out hope Shah will return to straighten things out in time.
After the Super Bowl is played Corporal Rundles said Shah faces numerous charges of theft by deception.
MORE: Coverage of Super Bowl LIII from FOX 5 Atlanta