Des Moines Radio: Former Sports Talk Host Sentenced

Marty Tirrell

Ex-Des Moines radio staple Marty Tirrell was sentenced Wednesday to serve 41 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for perpetrating sports ticket scams in central Iowa stretching back more than 10 years, reports The Des Moines Register.

U.S. District Judge Stephanie Rose also ordered Tirrell, a once-prominent sports radio talk show host who branded himself "The Mouth of the Midwest" to pay back $1.46 million in restitution to his victims.

Tirrell, 60, pleaded guilty to mail fraud in December 2019. Evidence gathered by the FBI found that he had created a scheme in which he would initially provide clients with free tickets to major sporting events, and follow that up by suggesting that they purchase other such luxury ticket packages and re-sell them at a profit, splitting the proceeds. However, it was found that Tirrell was using that money to buy luxury items for himself or to finance his gambling.

Eventually, Tirrell resorted to stealing credit cards, kiting checks and lying to banks to try to obtain more money. When he was finally caught, he was living in his car.

Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Westphal had asked that Rose exceed the maximum sentencing guideline of 41 months in this case because of the long-running nature of Tirrell's scams and his doubt that Tirrell would ever stop lying. Westphal sought a 60-month sentence.

The restitution Tirrell was ordered to pay, with no indication that he would ever have the resources to fulfill the obligation, is to go to American Express, Wells Fargo, Bank of the West and five individuals identified only by their initials.

Tirrell, a Massachusetts native, came to Des Moines in 1995 and launched the region's first sports talk radio program the next year, calling himself "The Mouth of the Midwest." He was a constant presence on local airwaves for the next two decades, with several shows, including one simulcast on Mediacom.