They’re in the federal penalty box.
A pair of brazen scam artists were arrested in Arizona today for bilking several hockey players and other marks out of $15 million worth of shady investments to line their own pockets, officials said Wednesday.
Financial adviser Philip Kenner and former race car driver Tommy Constantine are facing fraud and money laundering raps for allegedly stealing the dough to finance their own real estate schemes and other personal luxuries, authorities said.
Several former members of the New York Islanders and New York Rangers were among the victims.
Kenner befriended a hockey player while in college and eventually used him to enlist several other players as clients after he began working in finance after graduation, papers state.
In one scheme, Kenner managed to convince 13 players to cough up $100,000 each for a piece of a Hawaiian real estate venture but ended up using the cash to fund his own property deals, papers state.
The fraudster also steered players to invest in Constantine’s prepaid debit card company, according to the complaint.
But the pair used more than $1.5 million in investors’ cash to pay for their own mortgages, credit card bills, jewelry, and other personal expenses, according to the suit.
Kenner and Constantine also convinced the players to fork over millions to fund expenses related to a Mexican real estate investment – but the millions once again ended up in their own pockets.
“As alleged, Phillip Kenner spun a web of lies, deceit and broken promises that stretched from Hawaii to Mexico to the East End of Long Island,” said US Attorney Loretta Lynch in a statement.
“Kenner used his school connections to build a client list of NHL players. Once he gained their trust he promptly betrayed it by steering them to fraudulent investment schemes that enriched himself and Constantine to the tune of millions at the players’ expense.”
The dirty duo is expected to be transferred to Brooklyn federal court for arraignment after being processed in Arizona.