Conman who hosted black tie nights with Hollywood stars including Al Pacino and Sylvester Stallone jailed for fraud
A CONMAN who hosted black tie nights with stars including Al Pacino, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone has been jailed for fraud.
Ex-football player Stephen Oleksewycz operated his “An Experience With . . .” business and mixed with other A-list icons including Mike Tyson and Mel Gibson.
But he was exposed as a skint crook after ripping off firms involved in promoting a night with Conor McGregor in 2017.
Event organisers told how they were still waiting to be paid 24 hours before 5,000 fans filed into a live show in Manchester.
Prosecutor Holly Clegg said: “An Experience With . . . was an events business that specialised in delivering online and live events with various celebrities.
“The event that ultimately led to these offences being prosecuted related to a large-scale event that featured the Irish mixed martial artist, Conor McGregor.”
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Oleksewycz should not have been hosting events because he had been declared bankrupt.
The barrister added: “Throughout the relevant period, the defendant deliberately concealed his disqualified status from various service providers until after the event had taken place and the debts had already been accrued.
“In order to ensure the event went ahead, despite him not having the money to pay the service providers, he presented fraudulent documentation.”
Oleksewycz sent error-strewn fake paperwork to live streaming company Groovy Gecko and conference venue EventCity to fool them into going ahead with the gig.
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Despite the firms raising concerns about the remittance notes, they did not receive payment.
Miss Clegg added: “No money was ever received by Groovy Gecko and the remittance notices were found to be fake.”
EventCity experienced “directly comparable” treatment.
Oleksewycz, 39, was jailed on Thursday at Leeds crown court for 27 months.
The married dad of two had previously pleaded guilty to obtaining services dishonestly and working as a company director whilst bankrupt.
He also admitted two counts of fraud and was ordered to pay a total of £55,000 in compensation to his victims.
Oleksewycz, of Halifax, West Yorks, who once played football for the town’s team, was also behind an Arnie fitness festival that failed last September.
Up to 60,000 ticket-holders paying up to £336 were promised a guest appearance from the Terminator actor.
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But he cancelled just hours beforehand after his spokesman Brian Powers revealed: “Financial obligations to a variety of people had not been met.”
Scores of fans had bought special meet and greet packages with the star at prices topping £800.
