Craig Carton was arrested last week and charged with multiple counts of fraud stemming from a Ponzi scheme Carton was alleged to have masterminded. Such as it were.
And while he was suspended immediately, he was still technically employed by CBS Radio. But not anymore, as of Wednesday evening Carton announced he was resigning from his hosting duties:
Just in: Craig Carton resigns from WFAN. pic.twitter.com/z7ZWVGrDf7
— Jack Dickey (@jackdickey) September 13, 2017
The latest
“For 10 years I’ve had the great privilege of showing up to work every day at my dream job. I have nothing but love and respect for my co-host, the show and the entire CBS Radio family and I’ve always tried to represent them in the best possible light.
Unfortunately, the unfounded legal issues currently plaguing me will only be a distraction to everyone at WFAN and the show I helped build. with that in mind,I have submitted my resignation to the station and they accepted. I am sad to see this chapter of my life close but know that it will allow me to focus on my family, my well-being and clearing my name, while giving the show the best opportunity to succeed without further disruption.
I’ve always felt a personal connection to our listeners and want to thank them for making me a part of their daily routine. I hope they can respect the fact that as much as I want to talk about the allegations against me I can’t at this time. There will come a time when I will be able to speak directly about the case and I hope our listeners will be there.
From the bottom of my heart, I’d like to thank my family, friends, listeners and especially the executives at WFAN and CBS Radio for their continued understanding and for giving me the most amazing platform to do what I love to do the most, besides being with my family.
-Craig Carton
The scheme itself is a alleged to have been a wild one:
Carton, who hosts Boomer & Carton on WFAN in New York, has been charged with four counts of fraud after allegedly running a scam in which he tricked investors into paying millions of dollars by promising profits from a ticket-sales business that never existed. The scandal is full of lurid details, including Carton’s vast gambling debt and his partnership with a strip-club owner who suggested the duo run away to Costa Rica and assume new identities. Carton was released on $500,000 bond but has been suspended indefinitely by WFAN owner CBS.
At this point, though, it remains hard to imagine a scenario in which Carton returns to the airwaves, unless he beats the charges. But, you never know. Sports radio is a fairly forgiving medium, for the right crowd.
