Katy family accused of stealing identities to sell Masters tickets

KATY, Texas (KTRK) -- Four members of a family in Katy are charged with using stolen identities to get Masters Golf Tournament tickets to resell.

Authorities say Stephen Freeman along with his parents, Steven Lee Freeman and Diane Freeman, and sister, Christine Oliverson, are all charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.

Investigators say for four years they used stolen identities to cheat the lottery system and get around only entering a person's name once for tickets.

According to court documents, the four defendants used names and addresses from a purchased bulk mailing list to create multiple fraudulent accounts in the Augusta National Golf Club's online ticket application system. All this occurred without the knowledge or permission of the individuals whose identities were used.

It's unclear how much money they made, but tickets for the Masters are extremely difficult to get and are typically held by families.