South Carolina Man Charged for Fraudulently Selling Millions of Dollars’ Worth of “Discounted” Ski and Snowboard Passes in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Jonathan Rembert, 41, of Fort Mill, South Carolina, was indicted by a federal grand jury today for financial crimes after he allegedly participated in a fraud scheme that sold ski and snowboard passes, including Ikon and Epic passes, to skiers and snowboarders in Utah. The passes were purchased at full price for skiers via stolen credit cards; the skiers in turn paid Rembert and others a “discounted” price via online payments.

The Epic Pass is a mountain resort access pass sold by Vail Resorts, Inc., which has forty-two mountain resorts throughout the world, including Park City Mountain Resort, in Park City, Utah. The Ikon Pass is a mountain resort access pass sold by Alterra Mountain Company. Alterra is the parent company of Solitude Mountain Resort and Deer Valley Resort, which are both located in Utah. The Ikon Pass sold by Alterra offers purchasers access to the following Utah resorts: Alta Ski Resort, Brighton Resort, Deer Valley Resort, Snowbasin Resort, Snowbird, and Solitude Mountain Resort. (See indictment for details.)

According to court documents, from approximately November 2020 to May 2024, members of the scheme placed targeted online advertisements in Utah and elsewhere, offering “discounted” ski and snowboard passes. Members of the scheme would then communicate directly with individuals who responded to the online advertisements, or who, in some instances were prior customers or referred by others, through text and other online communication.

Prior to receiving payment from the pass purchasers, members of the scheme would obtain and use the purchasers’ personal information to establish or access accounts through the online portals of individual resorts, Alterra (Ikon Pass), and Vail Resorts (Epic Pass). After obtaining access, ski and snowboard passes were purchased at full price using other individuals’ stolen bank card information. The stolen bank card information was obtained and shared between coconspirators prior to the full price purchases being made and without the pass purchasers’ knowledge of the fraud. As a result, the fraudulently purchased ski and snowboard passes were delivered to the pass purchasers, both electronically and in some instances via the United States Postal Service.

As part of the scheme, after purchasing the ski and snowboard passes at full price using stolen bank card information, the coconspirators would resume communication with the pass purchasers to confirm the purchases and request payment of a negotiated “discount” price through peer-to-peer apps such as Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, and Apple Pay. The money went directly into the accounts of Rembert and his coconspirators. The fraudulent funds were then distributed between him and others for personal use.

Individuals whose stolen bank card information was used to purchase ski and snowboard passes at full price challenged the transactions as fraudulent, resulting in large scale “charge backs” born by various mountain resorts, including Altera and Vail Resorts, when the funds were returned to the bank card holders. Many of the ski and snowboard passes obtained by pass purchasers were cancelled as a result of the “charge backs” and fraud. As a result, the scheme resulted in millions of dollars of loss.

Rembert is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices, and aggravated identity theft.  His initial appearance on the charges is January 7, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

“For generations, Utah’s families have enjoyed the greatest snow on earth at our renowned ski resorts,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “The alleged fraud targeted local skiers, snowboarders, and resorts and we intend to seek justice for those victims. We are grateful to the law enforcement agencies that had the foresight to investigate and present this case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution.”

"The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with safeguarding the U.S. Mail against criminal exploitation,” said Glen Henderson, Inspector in Charge of the Phoenix Division. “When this mission is challenged, Postal Inspectors conduct thorough investigations and remain resolute in pursuing justice.  This case serves as a reminder to be cautious of offers that seem ‘too good to be true,’ particularly those which require payment through peer-to-peer applications.”

“Investigating fraud cases is crucial in protecting and maintaining trust in our communities.  The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office is committed to holding those who take advantage of our ski resorts and patrons accountable,” said Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera. “This is one of the largest fraud cases that the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office has investigated and is attributed to the ongoing partnership with our federal agencies and committed detectives who work hard every day to ensure our canyons are safe to enjoy our annual ski season.”

This case is being investigated jointly by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Woolf and Luisa Gough of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 
 

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