Marty Tirrell, a 65-year-old former Des Moines sports radio host known as the "Mouth of the Midwest," was arrested on October 20, 2025, facing 11 federal counts of wire fraud for allegedly defrauding four investors of over $1.5 million in a ticket-flipping scheme.
According to The Register, the indictment was filed October 16, 2025, claiming that from February 2024 to January 2025, Tirrell solicited funds through his company, Tea Room Broadcasting, promising to buy and resell high-demand tickets for events like the U.S. Open, Taylor Swift concerts, and playoff games.
Instead, he allegedly diverted the money to personal expenses and gambling, using new investor funds to pay earlier ones in a Ponzi-like scheme.
Tirrell, previously convicted in 2019 for a similar fraud, was sentenced in 2021 to 41 months in prison and ordered to pay $1.4 million in restitution. Released in January 2023 under supervised release, he now faces up to 20 years per count if convicted.
The new scheme occurred while he was still under supervision, using a bank account tied to his now-inactive Sports Overnight America podcast and radio venture.
A Massachusetts native, Tirrell launched Des Moines’ first sports talk show in 1996 on 1490 AM, later moving to 1460 KXNO until his 2009 firing after a profane on-air rant. His 2009-2012 Toyota of Des Moines partnership ended in lawsuits, including a $80,000 scam involving a failed Troy Aikman event.
Tirrell’s history includes civil judgments exceeding $1.7 million for unpaid debts and check-kiting since the 1990s. By 2019, he was homeless, living out of his car. His trial is set for December 1, 2025.