Chicago Bears tickets View Full Caption Flickr Creative Commons/Jim Larrison

CHICAGO — A group of 16 Chicago gang members has been accused of operating a counterfeit ticket selling ring that produced fake tickets to Bulls, Bears and other local teams as well as touring acts and other productions, the state's attorney general's office said Tuesday.

The group has been charged with forgery after a joint investigation between local authorities and federal agents uncovered the ring, Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a news release. Fake tickets to Bulls, Bears and Blackhawks games were uncovered, as were fakes for "Disney on Ice" tours and World Wrestling Entertainment productions.

The tickets were sold on sites like Craigslist, where the sellers met people in restaurants and other business to exchange the fakes for money, Madigan said.

Profits from the scheme then went to fund other illegal operations orchestrated by the gangs, Interim Police Supt. John Escalante said in a statement.

"This ticket scheme provided the finances to fuel the engine of violence that has plagued Chicago communities for far too long," Escalante said.

Of the 16 charged with forgery, eight have been arrested and are in Chicago Police custody. Arrest warrants have been issued for the remaining eight, Madigan said.

"The charges against the defendants allege they operated a widespread counterfeit operation to defraud people seeking to attend some of Chicago's most popular events," Madigan said in a statement.

Chicago Police have identified the targets as being members of local street gangs, Madigan said in the statement.

Those charged with the offense include: Lamont Flowers, 20; Labron Gray, 39; Nathaniel Gray, 24; Mitchell Hazzard, 36; Dionte Johnson, 20; Rashawn Mays, 20; Darrick McClinton, 33; Kenneth McCullough, 19; Joseph McKnight, 26; Russell Merritt, 36; David Metcalf, 25; Marcus Moore, 19; Mark Morrison, 24, Jason Peters, 24; Rodney Pole, 25; Lionel Robinson, 34.

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